Ice Queen and Goblin King
by EtherealWhistler
Summary: 10 years have passed. Ten years that stole Sarah Williams' happiness. Until that night, where she meets her fate. After all, hatred is still a feeling...
1. Chapter 1 : And I've lost who I am

Well, hello dear readers ! This is my first fanfic in english, so be nice with me, I'm not english...  
I like to hear music when I write, and this chapter was inspired by the song "Shattered" by Trading Yesterday.  
I hope you will enjoy this first chapter, please write me a little something once you've read it *^*

Disclaimer : No copyright infringement intended. I own my brain and my computer. "Labyrinth" and it's characters are the property of Jim Henson, everyone else is miiiiine ! Muahaha !

* * *

Chapter 1

"And I've lost who I am"

"I was wrong! It didn't work! Do something!"

"Don't you dare talking to me this way!"

"Please…You have to, she's going to…"

"And why should I care?"

"It's coming! Do it now!"

* * *

Black skirt, white shirt, black jacket…  
How about a tie? Well, all of her colleagues will be wearing one, so let's stick with it.

_I hate ties… Can't I just wear my poet shirt? _

The woman shrugged. If this night's party was made for her, then at least she should be able to wear what she wanted to. But no, it was a _professional party_, one of those where everyone brags about themselves and judges people by their clothes.  
So there she was, in her small room, facing the mirror, seeing the face of "a victorious young lawyer who just solved the most important case of the year", as it was written in the newspapers.

And, that's all?

Outside, it was raining. But it didn't matter.  
When was the last time she looked up at the sky?  
It was probably that day, when her young self disappeared. When "Sarah" disappeared.  
Another shrug. She tied her brown hair in a sophisticated bun then looked at her mirror.  
Ms. Williams was standing there, in that black and white outfit, sighing in resignation. Even her vivid green eyes seemed to have faded by the years.

_Well hello, monochromatic doll. _

She stared at the mirror, as if something was hidden beyond it.

_But they never came._

She had tried it several times.

_They never came_.

She even said the words, in her little bedroom, crying out loud and yelling, when life was particularly unfair, when Toby…

_Never._

Sarah shivered.

" Bad memories won't be remembered tonight, Sarah" she whispered to herself.

And then Ms. Williams' mask was back in place.  
After putting a bit of makeup on, she grabbed her purse, put on her shoes, then got out of her apartment.  
Closing her door, she murmured:

"And there I go, to a party in the lions' den. It's going to be…fun."

* * *

"Ah! Ms. Williams! At last you're here!" Mr. Barrett said, inviting the young woman to enter a giant modern building.

"I'm sorry Mr. Barrett, I just decided I would come a couple of hours ago…" Sarah said.

"Oh don't be like that, there are plenty of lawmen in here who are eager to hear more about you! Come in!" the man said, opening the massive glass door.

_They would eat me alive if they could… _

Mr. Barrett was an old lawyer who owned the "Barrett and Associates" law firm. He also was a friend of Sarah's father and she was glad to have met him, because he was a great and faithful support to her. Sarah was convinced Barrett was the only being in this place who could give her a true smile, without any other intentions hidden behind it than a warm greeting. The others were here to congratulate her, faking smiles and admiration, in order to know her weakness, because she was the new young prosecutor who recently got famous, and she was a new player in that little popularity game.

As Sarah entered the place, she was stunned by how richly the room was decorated. There were white tablecloths embroidered in blue on each table, white marble columns on each wall, and a light wooden floor where thirty elegantly dressed persons stood, chatting and skillfully faking laughs.

_Beautiful, but it's nothing compared to that ballroom. _

The thought made Sarah wince. She still remembered her time in the Labyrinth, but every night she silently wished she would forget it by the next morning. Bitterness had won, and her precious memories looked like a shameful fantasy to her. If things have been different, would she still love it? Would she miss her time in the Labyrinth?

_That's all it is, Sarah. What-ifs. Toby wouldn't like you to be nostalgic. And don't you dare thinking about__** him**__!_

Just when she was going to give the proper "I'm NOT!" answer to her treacherous brain, three men and two women greeted her, wearing their best fake smiles. _So much effort for me, I'm touched._

"If it isn't Ms. Williams! Congratulations! Your trial was a success! We heard you just sent a true monster to jail, that must have been tough!" The short, brown-haired woman said.

"Thank you" Sarah answered politely. "I only regret that Jake Craff was able to kill five kids before we caught him." She continued bitterly.

The other glanced at her with a surprised look.

"Well, it can't be helped. At least you managed to imprison him. That's a success." The older man said with an awkward voice.

Behind her back, Sarah could hear people whispering "You know…She didn't say a thing when he was sentenced…She didn't even react…So that's why they call her "The Ice Queen"! Really…"

Sarah didn't care. Who cares about bad nicknames and rumors? She just did her job, why would she feel happy when Craff already had the time to steal five young lives? Ignoring their comment, she tried to focus on the little group that seemed decided to spend at least fifteen minutes questioning her.

"And what made you choose that job? Why becoming a prosecutor? And why did you specialize in criminal affairs?" The second woman, a tall brunette, asked.

Sarah couldn't answer. Her mental armor firmly blocked her memories, not allowing a single word to come out. Just when she was about to invent a good lie, someone behind her back put a warm hand on her shoulder.

"My my, isn't it quite an inquisition?"

Sarah turned back, and was stunned. An absolutely gorgeous blond woman stood here, her crystal blue eyes staring at her with so much warmth that it made the young prosecutor's armor slightly crack.

"Could you leave us please? I believe this young lady might need some fresh air."

While the little group was throwing mental daggers to her for interrupting them, she invited the young woman to follow her to a little balcony. She stood here, facing the street, the lights of the night reflecting on her perfect face, while she smelled the sweet scent of the rain.

"It's been so long since I last came. It changed. So much." She murmured.

"Uh" Sarah kicked herself mentally for having nothing more elaborated to say "I'm sorry but…Did we meet before?"_ Good job Sarah! Now you look like a young high school guy trying to ask out his first girlfriend!_

The woman, as if she knew exactly what Sarah was thinking, giggled. It sounded like a delicate bell tinkling, it was enchanting, and a small voice in Sarah's mind poked her brain "Hellooo? There IS something wrong here! Wake up you stupid fairy lover!" Before she could notice the warning, the woman waved her blond hair and grabbed Sarah's hand. She took a sharp breath and released her hand, shaking it in an awkward way.

"You're Sarah Williams." she said, tilting her head in an all too familiar way. And she hurriedly added a very formal "aren't you?" while her eyes were sparkling like she just found an inestimable treasure.

Sarah blinked.

It's been 5 years since someone other than her family called her by her first name. No one else knows it now.

Something was wrong. The small voice in her head wasn't poking her brain anymore. Well now, it was using a hammer. A chill at the base of her neck, goosebumps on her arms, all the cells of Sarah's body were screaming a desperate "Warning!"

"How…How do you know my name?"

"I'm sorry" the strange woman said, a worried look creeping across her pale face "It seems I won't have enough time to be gentle and to reassure you. But be sure it is a real pleasure to meet you, Champion."

Sarah's eyes widened. _That's it. That's why I can't take my eyes off of her. She's from __**Here**__. Oh crap! How will I get out of here? I can't escape! Think Sarah! Hurry up!_

"Don't be afraid, I mean you no harm. On the contrary, I'm here to warn you."

Another blink, then Sarah shrugged, and Ms. Williams' unbreakable mental armor was back in place.

"Oh, really? Then thank you, but I think it's quite ironic, as my worst enemies seem to be the people of your kind and the place where you live, isn't it?" She hissed, throwing her best glare. "Excuse me. I've got to go now."

The woman's eyes narrowed and she desperately grabbed Sarah's wrist.

"No! Don't go, please. I'm not used to begging, you know. Listen, it won't cost you a thing!"

The young prosecutor sighed. "If it's just listening to you, I think I can do it. Speak, be quick, then just go away." She answered, coldly.

"No matter what happens tonight, don't go out in the streets alone. Take a cab, just go home."

"And…That's it? That's why you came?"

"Yes."

"I thought it was…More important."

"You still take too much things for granted, Sarah." She raised an eyebrow and winced. "Not now. It's too soon!"  
She made another wince. "I'm sorry Sarah, I can't stay here any longer. Until we meet again, take care of yourself, Champion." the woman said, bowing very slightly.

"What? Wait! Who are you ? Wait!"

But as soon as she turned her back, the blond Fae disappeared, leaving Sarah alone in the crowd.

* * *

The rest of the party was very boring. Sarah vaguely answered a million questions about her career, her point of view concerning previous affairs, while she kept thinking about the Fae woman. Why, after all those years, did the Underground come back in her life ? Who was this woman ? Was Sarah in danger ?

_Wait,_ she said to herself. _You're the only one who seems to have noticed that girl. That's it. You're tired. You haven't slept in, what, two days ? It was just your imagination._

Mr. Barrett was chatting a few feets away, and as Sarah approached, he gave her a worried look.

"Ms. Williams, you look confused. Maybe you should go home, don't you think ?"

"You're right, sir. Well, I will see you on Monday, I have a few things to discuss with Judge Marden. Have a nice evening." Sarah said, shaking his hand.

"Take care of yourself, you really don't look very well."

Sarah went out of the building, feeling the wind on her neck. She shivered. It was much colder than when she was on that balcony.

_And you were here alone, Sarah. Don't be stupid. _

An empty cab was waiting in front of her. She remembered her hallucination's words.

_It's ridiculous, I live a few blocks away. Plus, this is a very calm area. I don't risk anything._  
Turning her back to the cab with a "Hmpf!", she walked down the street, a determined look on her face.

But almost five minutes later, something alarmed her.  
A strange noise.  
She haven't noticed it until now, because of the rain, but as she was in that little street, it reverberated on the walls.  
Footsteps.  
Someone was following her.

* * *

"She didn't listen to me ! I still see it ! Do something !"

"If it's her fate, then let it be."

"Don't be stupid ! You don't want that to happen ! Help her ! If it's not for her, do it for me !"

* * *

It was a man. She could hear his footsteps getting faster.  
Without thinking twice, Sarah ran.  
The man was following closely, so she turned in the first intersection she saw.

_Aw, crap. Wrong choice Sarah._

Dead end.

"Good. You surrender. You sure can run fast." the man said, smirking.

Panic ran through Sarah's body. Her back on the wall, she was trapped here. She looked up and shivered. She saw that face somewhere.  
Then it rushed in her head. The trial, the murderer, his smirk, his glance when he was sentenced to death...Who was he looking for?

"You..."

"Oh you don't remember? Think a bit more, Ms. Prosecutor." he grinned, stepping forward.

"You're his brother. You're Ian Craff."

"Well done! And you, you killed my brother, you bitch!" he spat, caging her violently between his arms.  
She tried to push him with all her strength, screamed, and she was almost sure she hit his face.

And then she finally felt it.

That warmth on her stomach. That sticky feeling.  
Blood.  
He had stabbed her. And she was dying here, on that cold ground, in her beautifully boring lawyer outfit.

Ian Craff lifted her head and whispered in her slowly deafening ears.  
"You know, I first wanted it to be slower. But I will just leave you here. I like the poetry of that scene, almost as much as I liked it when I discovered that you were absolutely persuaded that Jake was the only murderer." he said, laughing.  
"You...too...How..." Sarah hardly coughed.  
"Well, I'm more discreet. My brother was a stupid show-off. Now stop talking, love, otherwise you will die way too fast, and that would be boring."

Sarah's vision went blurry. She could hear Craff's footsteps echoing as he turned his back to her and started to leave, a content smile on his face.

Her breathing slowed. She slowly closed her eyes.  
And smiled faintly.

_Toby, I'm coming..._

* * *

Soooo ? How was it ? Do I continue ? I'm not very good with beginnings, so I take any advice you can give me !  
Thanks for reading and see you in chapter two !


	2. Chapter 2 : Knocking on Heaven's door ?

Hi readers!  
I miraculously succeeded in achieving my second chapter within a week! Hurrayy me!  
I hope you'll enjoy this one! =)  
**THANK YOU** for all your nice reviews! It makes me write faster! And a big thanks to Kzal, who helped me correcting my frenchie's mistakes =)

Disclaimer : I don't own Labyrinth, otherwise there would be a sequel!

* * *

Chapter 2

Knocking on Heaven's door…?

_Toby, I'm coming..._

Suddenly, when she was losing consciousness, a warm hand gently brushed her cheek, leaving a strange tickling feeling.

And then, the world fell down.

* * *

Sarah didn't imagine that Heaven's ground would be this…cold…and hard. A familiar scent came to her nose. Something like… chickens?

_Are there chickens in Heaven? Well, why not … _

Her body felt numb, she couldn't move. So she tried to open her eyes, but they hurt.

_Why would it hurt in Heaven? Wait…Chickens…Cold stoned ground…That strange feeling…Hold on._

Sarah made another attempt to open her eyes, but it was so dark in there that she couldn't see a thing. Only a stone wall, some dark tapestries, and two figures bathed in the moonlight.

The taller one was facing the other, arms crossed. They started pacing around the room, while the other one was firmly standing, hands on the hips.

Suddenly she heard something that sounded like a hiss, and then the first figure pointed a gloved finger in her direction. He spat:

"Satisfied now?"

_Wow, what a voice. So angels do have beautiful voices. I wonder what they look like…Still, I'm almost sure I heard this one before…But where?_

"Quite." The other answered, out of breath.

Judging by the sound, this one was a woman. Even if she sounded a bit panicked, her voice was so sweet, so musical, that Sarah clearly thought, for a few seconds, that she was really an angel. Well, until the voice in her head poked her brain and remembered her that she was talking to this "angel" just a few hours ago…

_Where am I?...Urg…I think I'm going to be sick…I need to get up. Come on, feet!_

Sarah felt a surge of pain as she tried to get up, then panicked. She couldn't move at all, it was like her body was too heavy for her weak muscles. Plus, she was feeling dizzy and her head kept swaying from left to right.

The woman seemed to notice it. She took a few steps towards Sarah but was stopped by the man.

"I'm warning you." He said. "I'm not going to help you with this anymore. You take care of it yourself now." He sounded really angry; Sarah could feel it in her semi-consciousness.

"She looks so weak. That was close…Thank you." The woman said.

There was a silence. As if the man was hesitating. Then he turned his back on her and walked to something that, from Sarah's blurry view, looked like a door.

"She needs to sleep. This is normal, traveling while being awake is very hard for humans."

He sighed. Then continued.

"And I need to rest too! You woke me up in the middle of the night to use almost all of my magic. Do you know how much work is waiting for me tomorrow morning?"

"Yes, I do. Thank you, and goodnight, your Majesty."

"Goodnight, Aleesha."

He turned, grabbed the doorknob and whispered.

"Take care of her." He said, going out and closing the door behind him.

The woman smiled. "I will. Go to sleep, Jareth. You need it."

She then crouched near Sarah, who mumbled:

"Don't…Don't come near…me. No…Don't…Why…"

"Hush, hush. You don't have to be afraid. You're safe, and alive, thanks to the gods. Now sleep well, Champion." Aleesha said, gently cupping her head with her pale hands.

Sarah suddenly felt a strange coldness on her cheeks, and rapidly fell asleep.

* * *

A warm ray of light woke Sarah up. She stirred between her blankets. The young woman felt as if all her tiredness had been swept away. She let out a satisfied sigh.

Sarah then heard a soft knock at the door. Still half asleep, she just sank further between the pillows and grunted:

"Nooo… Karen, let me sleep a little bit more… I won't be late…"

Another knock at the door. Louder.

"Is it my turn to go get Tob…"

Sarah got up right away. She didn't remember coming home for the holiday. She didn't remember seeing Karen and her dad. She didn't remember holding Toby in her arms…Because it was not possible anymore.

Her eyes were staring at the big wooden door.

"I'm not home."

_Oh really? Congratulations, you dummy. Now could you use your brain please?_

"So, where am I? Think Sarah. Why is my mind so confused? Alright, so I won my trial. I do remember that. Then…the party. How boring. Ah, but there was a woman, I think. She warned me about something…What was it? I didn't believe her. I got tired, so I went home. And while I was in the street…"

Sarah suddenly froze. A cold sweat drop ran along her neck.

"And then, I died."

"Nah, Sarah Lady znot dead! Boss Lady saved Sarah Lady!"

"GYYAAAAAAH!" Was the only thing Sarah could answer to the little creature who stood right in front of her.

Apparently, it was female. She had a coffee-colored skin with strange little creamy dots on her nutshell-looking face. Her red hair was tied in a messy bun, revealing two big pointed brown ears. She was wearing some sort of cream-colored fur tied like a dress and red leather shoes which were clearly too big for her.

But Sarah wasn't really looking at the goblin girl, as she jumped on the bed and grabbed the first thing she acknowledged as a weapon: her pillow.

The poor creature didn't have the time to dodge when the fluffy thing hit her straight in the face. But she stood firmly on her two miniature feet and tilted her head.

"Something znot right, Sarah Lady?" she asked, rubbing her distorted nose.

"NO!" She screamed, anger mixed with panic creeping into her head."Something is definitely not right!" She tried to punch the goblin again, who dodged the vengeful pillow.

"Why is there a goblin in my room?! Wait, this is not my room. WHY am I not in my room?! WHERE am I?!"

The goblin girl lifted what seemed to be a messy red eyebrow and stared at Sarah. After a few seconds, Sarah knew that the little thing was definitely convinced she was completely insane.

"Stupid queshion, Sarah Lady. Yar obviously in tha Castle beyond tha Goblin City. Yar in His Majesty'z Castle." She stated, as a matter of fact.

Sarah's mind went blank. How did she end up in _his_ castle? She absolutely did not wish anyone away, as she has no one to wish away anymore.

_Well, maybe a few colleagues…Hold on! This is not the time to think about that!_

"Why am I here? How did I get here?! Answer me!" she ordered, going insane and hitting the goblin more and more.

"Help! HEEEELP! Sarah Lady zgonna kill Bloowy!" the little one yelled, hiding under a dark wooden desk.

Suddenly, she stopped shouting. Someone had appeared in a blink into the room, behind Sarah's back, and said with a calm voice :

"Well, I understand you might be a bit shocked, but I would be quite grateful if you could cease harassing my maid."

Sarah dropped her pillow, turned back, and almost didn't recognize the woman she met at the party. Her long blond hair was wildly falling on her slender hips, and in her ice blue dress, she could have been mistaken for an angel.

"You're her, aren't you? You're the girl from the party."

The woman smiled sweetly, while Bloowy the goblin quickly escaped the room.

"Let me introduce myself in a more proper way. My name is Aleesha, Fae Princess of the Underground, and it is a real pleasure to finally be able to talk to you, Champion." She bowed slightly in a respectful manner.

"Stop calling me that way. I'm no Champion."

"You are, Sarah Williams. Champion of the Labyrinth. No one has ever beaten it before you, and no one else will, as the Goblin King doesn't grant human's wishes anymore…" she sighed.

Sarah shivered. So _he_ was still there. How many times did she wish to forget, _him_ and his crazy world, even though she couldn't take her eyes off of her red leather book?

"What happened to me?" the young woman asked, fearing Aleesha's answer.

Aleesha didn't answer. Instead, she closed her eyes and murmured:

"You shouldn't be asking this to me. It…No it shouldn't be me, I don't see it."

"You don't…see?" Sarah asked, intrigued.

The princess giggled. Sarah noticed that, while looking closely at her, she didn't seem older than her, but she was fae, so she assumed Aleesha was not as young as she looked.

"I have a power that's called "The Third Eye". It's very rare among people of my kind. I can see the future, even if it's a bit more complicated."

"You know what I will do? Everything?"

"No. I can see two types of events. First, I can have simple visions. They are a glimpse of the future, mostly the important parts, but I can't control them. And then I can get premonitions, and that's not the most convenient part…" she lowered her gaze, a shadow passing through her crystal-blue eyes.

"What happens then?" Sarah asked, who couldn't refrain her curious magic-lover self.

"Well it's more like I'm making a prediction. My head hurts a lot and I mumble things to the person next to me. About their future, their fate. And that's why people often take it as a curse."

_She seems to be suffering…Ask her something!_

"You…Did you see me? That night when we met?"

"Yes. This is not a very happy conversation for a first real encounter, but I saw you dying in a street, stabbed by that filthy human man."

Sarah shivered. She was slowly regaining her memories, and she could now remember what she felt when Ian Craff tried to kill her, how glad she was that her pointless life was ending…

"Why am I still alive?"

"Aaand that's the part where I stop answering you, dear! You should talk to the one who saved you now. And guess what?" she drew closer to Sarah's ear. "That person is not me. And you know who I am talking about, don't you?" she gently guided a trembling Sarah towards the door.

"That's absolutely out of the question. I won't see him."

"Aw, don't be like this. He is not going to eat you alive you know. He's not very fond of meat anyways."

"Are you trying to make a joke?" Sarah shot her a doubting glare.

"Don't be mean. I don't receive a lot of people. You're my first guest since, well, a very long time. And Jareth doesn't have any sense of humor."

She then stopped guiding –or more accurately pushing - Sarah, as they entered in the corridor.

"Woah!" the Princess shouted, which surprised Sarah, and she began to think that Aleesha was maybe not as well-mannered as she first thought.

"How can I be so distracted? Really, you can't come and thank Jareth in your nightgown!" She said, laughing.

Sarah looked at herself. Her formal clothing had disappeared, and she was wearing a beautifully embroidered green cotton nightgown. Blushing, she rushed in the room, closing the door behind her in embarrassment. As if she was in her head, she heard Aleesha's crystalline laugh again.

"Bloowy washed your clothes while you were asleep. Oh and I transformed your bathroom to make you feel at ease. Take your time and when you're ready, call me and I will take you to the King."

Sarah looked at the bedroom. It was quite simple, in an old, medieval style, but still, it was kind of…cute.

_That Aleesha really have a taste for sweet cute things. Look at that nightgown! There are so many little flowers on it! Yuk. That's too much for me…_

The cream-colored stone walls were covered by light green tapestries, embroidered with gold lace. The furniture –a queen-size bed, a wide desk and two giant wardrobes-were built in a dark brown wood, which brought a warm cosy feeling to the bedroom. Her blanket and pillows were made in a beautiful emerald-green velvet.

_I'm so ashamed. I totally vented my anger on that poor goblin. I need to apologize if I meet her again…_

As Sarah was entering the bathroom, she was surprised to see that Aleesha actually had done a great job. She transformed the place into a relatively modern bathroom.

_Plumbing!_ Cried her mind.

Without a second thought, she jumped into the bath tub and let the hot water calm her down.

While playing with the bubbles, -_Errh, pink…-_ Sarah got lost in her thoughts.

_So I have to face him again..._she sighed.

Seeing her nemesis once again was clearly not making her happy. She could only imagine how vengeful he might feel after he was beaten by a 15-year-old girl. And now the 25-year-old her was taking a bath in one of his guest rooms…

_Wow, he must be really angry…_

But, didn't he just save her life? Why would he do such a thing? He was the villain, so he should just have let her die.

_This doesn't make any sense…_

Then something came to her mind. After all, she already died once, nothing might be worse than this.

_Even the bog. I suppose_.

So she shouldn't be afraid. She was going to meet him, thank him, then go back home. And that's it.  
With her new stubborn resolution, she quickly got out of the bath tub, grabbed her underwear, then her shirt and skirt, dried her hair with a towel, and tied it in a neat bun.

_Well, okay, it might look a bit strict, but I only have this outfit after all. And he's King, I think a bit of formality is okay._

She got out of the bathroom and called Aleesha, who seemed to have the same strange and disturbing habit to just pop in the room as a certain Goblin King.

"Are you ready to meet my King, Champion?" she said, smiling happily.  
"Could you stop with the Champion thing, please? And no, I'm absolutely not. But I don't have a choice, haven't I?"

"Exactly! I love how you handle your fate, Sarah Williams. I already like you a lot!"  
As she was guiding her in the corridors, she said:  
"And don't worry. He chose to save your life yesterday, why would he kill you now?" she giggled.  
Aleesha stopped before a big black wooden door, and invited Sarah to knock.  
"Well, I do have some theories...If I scream, could you save me?"  
"I won't have to. Be strong, Sarah Williams!"

_That's easy to say...You're not going to meet an imaginary fae King._

She took a deep breath, straightened her back, and knocked.

"Come in."

* * *

Yeah...I'm the sadistic kind of writer who stops her chapters at a very stressful moment...Sorry guys! But isn't it better this way? See you next week for THE LONG AWAITED ENCOUNTER!


	3. Chapter 3 : I don't care

Hi dear readers!  
There comes the so awaited Chapter 3! The encounter! I hope you will like it! Don't forget to leave a little comment, this always makes me very happy and helps me to write faster. ;)

The main part of this chapter was inspired by the song 'I don't care' by Apocalyptica (yeah, not very funny.)

Disclaimer: I don't own Labyrinth...But Aleesha and Duncan are mine! Hehe.

* * *

Chapter 3

I don't care.

Sarah took a deep breath, straightened her back, and knocked.

'Come in.'

That voice. It sent apprehensive shivers down her spine.

_No turning back, Sarah._

The young woman entered the room, hesitantly. She glanced around, but the Goblin King was nowhere to be seen.

Surprisingly, the first thing she saw was the huge window in front of her. It was not decorated, a simple window in a sand-colored wall. But it was bathing the place with a bright sunlight.  
Unconsciously, she walked through the room and delicately brushed her fingers over the cold glass. Outside, she could see the Goblin City, with its crowded streets and crooked houses, a wide and thick fairytale-like forest, and…The Labyrinth.

She frowned as she noticed its dusty walls moving, its paths changing, and its guards patrolling randomly around the Castle. A throb in her insides reminded her of what she fought for, to finally lose it in a safer place.

_Irony is cruel... _

As she was drowning in her despair, she heard footsteps behind her.

"As you can see, I rebuilt my Kingdom quite well, after your destructive little journey."

"Good day to you too, Goblin King." Sarah said, while turning to face him.

He was there, standing just in front of her, arms crossed. And even an angel wouldn't have been that handsome.

Dark leather knee-high boots, too fitted black pants –_Oh no! Pants-staring is definitely forbidden, you dumb woman!_-, a simple white poet shirt hiding his strange pendant and those intriguing leather gloves. Even if his attire looked quite casual compared to his "full regal evil mode," nothing could make anyone doubt that he definitely was a King.

His wild hair was just as messy as before, a golden crown contouring his face. And those eyes, those strangely mismatched blue eyes that were staring at the window, were almost hypnotizing the young woman.

Almost.

He was absolutely not looking at her and hasn't said a word for almost two long minutes, so Sarah took a short breath and lifted her head fiercely.

"I didn't think I would meet you ever again. It was quite a shock to wake up here."

Jareth started pacing around the room, as if he was mentally debating with himself. He didn't even glance at her.

"Do not worry, the displeasure is mutual," he hissed.

_Okay, nice start! He has not strangled me yet, even if he looks like he's just about to do it, that's good, at least._

"Well, I'm sorry, but I didn't choose to come back you know. And according to what I know, you made me come here," she coldly answered.

"First, I did NOT take you back, I saved your LIFE! And then, if you have been a good girl and listened to people's warning, I wouldn't have had to drag you back here!" he replied, nearly shouting. He was facing her, and he was furious. But still, he strangely wasn't looking her in the eyes.

"Stop talking to me like that, I didn't come here to have a fight with you." Sarah calmly yet tensely said.

"Oh, and now you are going to thank me for rescuing you and make a nice curtsy and a dashing smile?" he spat.

"Wha… What's your problem?! I never _wished_ to be saved!"

A tensed silence filled the room.

"What if…What if I wanted what happened in that street?" she lowered her voice, her glare fading away, replaced by a sorrowful expression.

Jareth stopped shouting. He took a step in her direction, Sarah took a step back.  
His mood had completely changed, and that was freaking her out.  
Another step forward, and another step back.  
He lifted a gloved hand, and she trembled.  
And as his fingers reached her chin, she finally noticed it.

He was trying to make eye contact.

_What is that, Sarah? Can't look him in the eyes? Nonsense. You did it last time, and it was a success. Lift your chin and face him. Right now. _

And then she saw him. He was looking straight in her eyes, as if he was scanning her mind, and his gaze was so intense she thought she might reveal to him every secret, as deeply hidden in her memory as it may be, if he kept staring at her like that. She felt her cheeks getting warmer, and a scary hint of a feeling crept inside her. She shivered, putting her "Ms Williams" armor firmly in place, and freed herself of Jareth's firm leathery grip on her chin.

He glanced away, as if regaining his composure, and said in a tensed yet cold voice:

"You changed. There's no strength in your eyes anymore. They look…dead. What happened to you?"

Sarah felt as if he had intruded into her brain. With one question, he had managed to dig up the unbearable pain she had deeply buried in her heart, five years ago. Her breathing became uneven; she put all her might into controlling her trembling hands and finally, her cold mask was back in place.

"That's none of your concern."

The Goblin King took a step back. He looked suspicious, and curious. But he rapidly feigned indifference as Sarah asked:

"I should be the one asking that question. What happened to me? What did you do that night?"

"Sit down." He ordered, as he conjured a chair near what seemed to be a huge dark wooden desk, which Sarah totally hadn't notice when she entered the room. She sat, after deciding that Jareth was definitely not in the mood for a rebellious attitude. He faced her, on the other side of his desk, took a calming breath, and finally spoke.

"You were dying in that street. Aleesha saw you and that…whatever." He pinched the bridge of his aquiline nose, visibly irritated.

"She has so much power. It must be a big responsibility…" Sarah said, mostly to herself.

"It is. And it's not really an appreciated gift among people of my kind."

"Yet you have chosen her as your Queen. You really do like challenges, don't you?"

Jareth paused. Then laughed as if she had just said the most ridiculous thing he ever heard in his immortal life.

"Well, could we just stick with the explanations concerning your actual condition?" he smirked, a strange expression in his eyes.

"Go on," Sarah answered simply.

"So you were dying. Aleesha saw you, and I… You know, there wasn't any other option, if there was, I would have done it. So don't you dare accusing me of kidnapping."

"Quit it, you're just beating around the bush. I know your tricks, so what did you do to me?" she asked, slightly irritated, and wary of his answer.

He tsked and shrugged.

"Fine. I took your soul. Satisfied?" he spat.

"Wha…You what?"

"You did a 'traveling.' It's a way to extract a soul from its human body to put it in a replica, in the Underground."

Sarah couldn't say a word. It was like they were blocked in her throat, unable to come out. She grabbed her sides, crossing her arms, trying to convince herself that she was still real. And alive.

"Calm down. You're still human, I just created a new body, but it's still the same. The only thing different is, as it was created in the Underground, you will have a very longer life, quite the same length as a full blood Fae. An improvement on the old one, don't you think?"

"_Isn't that generous?"_

"But, I can't stay here! There must be a way for me to go back! Bring me back to my human life!" Sarah desperately shouted.

"Did you hear what I just said? Your body Aboveground is dead. You're dead up there. Plus, I can't bring you back, your new body won't last Aboveground," he said with a steady voice.

"You should have conjured an ambulance or something! Why did you do this?"

"There was no other way to save you."

"Then you should have let me die here, in that filthy street!" She got up from her chair, swinging it across the room.

"Beware. I'm a patient man, and I know you might be shocked, but you are becoming insolent, and I'm still a King. And starting today, I am your King too." Jareth said, getting up.

The young woman was walking straight to the door, when Jareth's words stopped her. She turned to face him, her eyes staring at the King defiantly.

"I would rather die again than obey you, Your Majesty."

In a blink, he was there. Trapping her with his gloved hands, on each side of her head, she couldn't move, when he hissed and glared at her furiously.

"You have no choice. You are to stay in this castle with Aleesha. She's all alone here and longs for a bit of company. And she seems to like you, Gods only know why."

Sarah managed to free herself of his leathered grip. Her breath was uneven, her anger huge, and she spat:

"Thank you for making my second life a living hell, Your Highness." She said, grabbing the doorknob.

"I was wrong." The Goblin King said, coldly. "You haven't changed. You're still that same ungrateful little brat. And let me say one more thing to you. If Aleesha hadn't asked me to save you, I wouldn't have done it. Your life doesn't have any importance to me anymore."

Sarah slammed the door behind her, leaving only the sound of her running footsteps behind her.  
And as the girl was escaping from his office, the King was still standing there, finally alone.

* * *

"You know, sometimes I do think you're really an idiot." A shadow behind the King's chair said.

"It's better if she hates me. For me, and for her." He answered, playing with conjured crystal balls.

"But you didn't have to lie and talk to her that way, you stupid pighead! She must feel so bad now…"

Aleesha tensely paced in the office to stand next to her King, who looked a bit absent-minded.

"Really…Couldn't you just give her a hint of honesty?"

"I only need you to love me, Sister." Jareth said, forcing a smile.

"And I only love you, my dear Brother." Aleesha answered, putting a warm hand on his shoulder. "I will take care of Sarah. Rest assured, you haven't recovered from yesterday's "traveling" haven't you?"

"Stop worrying for me, Alee'. Just go and comfort her, she needs to feel more at home, as she's going to spend the rest of her life here. And she looks strange, try to find out why." Jareth said, pinching the bridge of his nose to calm himself down.

"And who just said he didn't care about the girl…" mumbled Aleesha. Seeing her brother's glare, the Fae woman added "Alright, I'm going! But do me a favor and fix that stupid temper of yours!" before disappearing from his sight.

* * *

Sarah was running.

What else could she do? She thought that if she stopped running, she would fall and desperately cry her heart out against the cold stoned floor of her new "Home."

Home.

She was never going to come back. She will never see her parents again.

_Well, I was not seeing them a lot since …_

Treacherous tears started to drop on her shirt, and she blamed herself for being so weak. As she was turning desperately in a corner of the corridor, she wiped her tears with her hand, and…

CRAAASH!

She bumped into someone in a crash of plates and glass.

_Hurray for stupid clumsy me!_

She was rubbing her aching head and mumbling a few excuses, when she saw a pale hand inviting her to get up.

"I'm so sorry miss!" a worried voice said "Are you hurt?"

Sarah lifted her head to give her best "No, thank you, goodbye" when she saw him.

He was a young brown-haired man. It was a lot lighter than her own hair, which was of a deep black. His hazel eyes were looking straight into her green ones, and he was trying to smile, even if a bit worried. Sarah's mind went blank, as she saw that comforting smile, and she hesitantly took his hand.

He helped her getting up.

"No…I'm fine, thank you. I'm sorry, I wasn't looking."

"That's okay, miss. As long as no one is hurt, it's fine!" the man answered, with a bright smile.

He rapidly cleaned the mess, which consisted in broken plates that he put on a tray he was holding.

"I'm not worried about the food. In less than five minutes, this will be completely clean, thanks to the goblins!" he said, laughing softly.

As Sarah wasn't saying a word, he kept talking.

"You don't look well, miss. Do you want to eat something?"

"Ah. Yes, it's very nice of you." The young woman answered.

"No problem. My name is Duncan. I'm a cook in this Castle. May I ask you your name?"

"Sarah." She said, then silently followed the young man, still shocked from her second encounter with her personal villain.

* * *

Ian Craff was in his apartment. A filthy place for a filthy neighbourhood. He walked straight to the kitchen, warmed up himself a coffee in a half-broken pan, and rushed to the other corner of the room. On the wall, a giant mirror was pinned. Craff put his cup on a chair and stood in front of the mirror.

After a few seconds, an image appeared beyond it.  
It had a black hood on its head, but the man instantly stiffened as he knew who was there.

"Master, I did it yesterday. I killed the girl." Ian said. He was trembling slightly.

The thing didn't answer. It seemed to be waiting. Suddenly, it said :

"No, you failed. You didn't kill her."

"But Master, I did it! I stabbed her! There was blood everywhere, her blood! I didn't fail!"

"You didn't kill her. Someone saved her after you left. You failed."

"No...Please, Master, I can try again! I will succeed this time! I promise you!" Ian Craff was completely petrified.

"No second chances, Ian Craff."

Suddenly, the man felt as if her feet were stuck to the ground, and as if he was forced to look the thing beyond the mirror in the eyes.

"What is your worst nightmare, Ian Craff?"

The room went dark. It was pitch black. Craff screamed. And then, it was silent.

The next day, the police found Ian Craff's body in his apartment, lying on the floor, his eyes rolled back in his head. The concluded he had a stroke, but the neighbours kept saying that they distinctly heard him screaming one thing, all night long.

I'm burning alive.


	4. Chapter 4 : I don't wanna stay

Finally!  
Excuse me for the long wait, but my muse enjoyed hiding in a corner while seeing me torturing myself alone (that, and piling up my work in that same corner...).

Anyways, I'm back! Hope you will enjoy my new chapter! Don't forget to leave a little review for me 3

A big thank you to Kzal who helped me even during her Thanksgiving's week! Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

I do not own Labyrinth, J. Connelly nor David Bowie (sigh...)  
Chapter inspired by "Go" - The Civil Wars.

* * *

Chapter 4

"I don't wanna stay, I don't wanna go"

"Tcheh… didn't ask for his help…don't have to thank him anyway. Stupid Fae bastard." Sarah mumbled, her arms crossed, as she walked angrily through the corridors.

"Did you say something, miss?" Dorian politely asked, leading the young woman to the kitchen.

"Nothing. I'm sorry; I had a bad encounter, so I'm a bit irritated right now." She answered flatly.

"Really? And I thought you were just coming out of your room when we met. Lady Aleesha already informed everyone that you were our guest of course, but I think it was mostly in order to deter the goblins from attacking you… Ah! Here we are! My little kingdom, sort of." Dorian turned to face Sarah, a bright and proud smile on his face, as he opened the heavy door before them.

Inside, on the right side of a large wooden table were Dorian was putting his tray, was the highest mountain of food Sarah has ever seen. There were baskets of meat, fruits, vegetables, and there was plenty of it. Sarah also distinguished some species she hadn't known existed, probably from the Underground. Her eyes wide, she looked at the young man.

"There is so much food! How many people are you feeding in this Castle?"

"Well, there are ten cooks, of course we're feeding the King and Lady Aleesha, then their soldiers, the maids, the healers... I think there are a hundred non-goblin people living in the Castle.". And then, we have to give food to the goblins, too. That part is more like a breeder's job, though." He said, sighing.

"A hundred?! I didn't think…I didn't see any human-looking being –_only that kidnapper of a King_!- the first time I came."

"So you're her, aren't you! You're the Champion who defeated the Labyrinth!" Dorian caught Sarah's hands, a fascinated look in his eyes.

"How do you know that?" Sarah freed her hands from his grip, glaring suspiciously.

"It's you! That explains the weird clothing! Wow, that's awesome! You're the first human I've ever met!" Dorian looked really happy as he pulled up a chair and invited her to sit.

"I will ask my question again. Answer me." Sarah was getting angry, and irritated as it seemed that everyone here knew about her. She refused to sit down. "How do you know who I am, Mr. Dorian?"

"Hey, stop looking at me as if I was a criminal, miss! That's only logical, as no one has come here since the day you challenged His Majesty, Champion."

"Yeah, I know about the Labyrinth and the King's decision, but…"

"No, you don't understand, Champion. No one came. Not from the Labyrinth, nor from other kingdoms in the Underground. We haven't had any guests in ten years." Dorian was looking straight into Sarah's eyes.

_What happened here?_

"But why? Did something happen? Is it my fault?"

"I am just a cook here, miss. I just know what I saw. And, by the way, what I see now is that we, finally, have a new guest! And I will take care of you, Miss Sarah. That's my promise to you." Dorian caged Sarah's face between his warm palms. He was staring at her, as if she was a precious treasure he just discovered after a life of research.

It was unbearable, and the young woman struggled.

_Does this guy know anything about personal space? He's way too close!_

_Come on, Sarah, he's just being nice. You're all alone here, and he knows it. That's all. _

_Maybe, but he IS too close! Let's find a way to distract him!_

"You…smell like chocolate, don't you?" Sarah asked.

"You have quite a fine nose; goblins usually just scream 'fooooood!' when they see me… I'm in charge of today's desserts!" he answered, letting go of Sarah's face. He proudly pointed a big chocolate cake on a table, near a small window.

"That's huge! Did you do this alone?"

"Yes miss! I'm quite proud of it! I really hope my King will like it! It seems like he has a weakness for sugary things… Wait, please don't repeat that, or else I can consider myself as already bogged. Definitely."

"This is for the Goblin King?"

_Then add some pepper. _

"Yup. And for Lady Aleesha too, of course." Dorian stated, matter-of-factly.

Sarah looked at the cake closely. It was well decorated with sugar white whirls and red caramel-made ribbons. And it smelled so good! If Dorian hadn't been there, she probably would have stolen a piece of that glittering ribbon.

As she was almost drooling, she heard her stomach growl angrily. She haven't eaten since her 'traveling' and was truly starving.

When she saw Dorian laughing behind her, her cheeks reddened in embarrassment.

"Sorry, I am quite hungry…" she mumbled.

"What a bad host I am! I should offer you something to eat! You're in my kitchen, I'm so stupid..."

"Do not worry, Mr. Dorian. As long as you give me something to eat, I'll forgive you." Sarah said with a forced smile.

"Dorian."

"Hm?"

"Just call me Dorian. That 'mister' thing is disturbing, I'm not that old!" he pouted.

_Wow, is that guy constantly worrying about something?_

"Okay, Dorian." she said, suppressing a grin.

"Fine. So now I can call you Sarah. That's a beautiful name by the way, not common in the Underground. That makes you even more special!"

"Do you always praise people this way or is it just because I am some kind of 'fresh meat'?"

"Well, I always express my thoughts. And I think you're quite cute, Sarah." he smiled, making Sarah's cheeks get warmer.

"Uh, Well… You seem nice too!" she blabbered.

He genuinely smiled, and to Sarah's eyes, it was like he was brightening the room with warmth and comfort.

"Now, time to eat! I have a few fruits if you like it. It's the perfect season for peaches, by the way. Do you want it?" Dorian politely proposed.

But, sadly, the effect wasn't the one he expected. In a blink, Sarah switched from a nice and friendly newcomer to an insane human-like ball of fury. She quickly spat a vague "I have something to settle, bye Dorian" and stormed out of the room, leaving the young man alone, blinking confusedly, a fruit basket in his hands.

* * *

A few seconds after Sarah's sprint, Aleesha entered in the kitchen, out of breath.

"By the gods" she swore, glaring desperately at Dorian "there are some words that shouldn't be said to our new guest, Mr. cook."

"My Lady! It's an honor for me to see you in my humble kitchen!" Dorian started.

"Yes, yes. No peaches, Dorian. Remember this. And quit calling her 'Champion', it seems like she's not really proud of that title." She answered, irritated.

Then she stopped talking, as her hands convulsed slightly. Dorian was standing there, mumbling excuses to his Princess, while she was absolutely not paying attention anymore.

"Damn it. I neglected her bad temper. She's going back to _his_ office. Oh Gods! I have to stop this before she half kills him again!" She shouted, while disappearing in a swirl of ice blue silk.

.

.

.

"Erm. I wonder if the three of them will eat together tonight…" Dorian said to himself, shrugging and going back to his work. "Still" he added "What a nice guest. I hope she will stay here a few days!"

* * *

"YOU! You damn fae King! Take me back home, right now! It doesn't matter if I have to hide for the rest of my life, maybe I can still use my human body! take me back!"

"And why, pray tell, do I have the pleasure to see you, again?" Jareth distractedly said, not even surprised to see a furious Sarah slamming open his office's door.

"PEACHES!"

"You seem to react quite badly to that fruit. It does exist in you world, doesn't it?" he smirked.

"Stop treating me like a fool! You know what I mean!"

"You keep taking things for granted, little girl. You think that because I saved your insignificant mortal's life, I would feel sorry for what I've done before. That was only an easy way for me to win our little game, nothing more. So stop disturbing me for such trivial things." He said, resting his elbows on his heavy wooden desk, his right hand under his chin, as if he was talking to a child, which cut the last thread of sanity in Sarah's brain.

Growling, Sarah crossed the room in a blink, and stood right in front of Jareth's desk. Her cheeks were red with anger, and her eyes were throwing daggers at him.

But, he still wasn't looking at her.

"Look me in the eyes, Goblin King!" she spat.

"Out."

"What did you…"

"Just get out, Champion." He sighed, slightly irritated, as he was going back to the books and papers lying in front of him. "I won't take you back because I can't. I won't apologize for my previous behavior because it's my job to act this way. And I won't be the friendly and welcoming host you might want me to be, because I don't want to."

'_I'm tired of living up to your expectations of me.'_

There was a silence as Sarah's anger slowly disappeared. Instead, a strange feeling crept through her chest, crushing her heart and swallowing her strength. There wouldn't be any villain to fight anymore. There wouldn't be any baby to save. No game, no price, no expectation, no happy ending. No ending at all.

Sarah was alone.

Just as she was in her own world.

She was an empty shell looking for a light to get her soul back, but outside, only darkness lies.

"You didn't take my soul that night, Goblin King. For it doesn't exist anymore." she plainly said.

"Oh, did I just shatter your frozen heart? Could it be that the all-powerful Sarah Williams lost her strength? It hurts like hell, doesn't it."

Jareth glanced idly at her, a victorious smirk painted on his face. But what he saw swept away the sour comment he was planning to make.

In front of him, looking at the bright window, his Champion was broken.

Crystalline tears were staining her pale cheeks, treacherous little strands of salted water that were revealing her weakness.

But her fierce look was still the same, she was all dignity and pride, except for the transparent pearls wetting her shirt.

"Sa…" he started hesitantly, taken aback.

"Don't you dare start thinking this is all due to your actions, Your Majesty. You only taught me that life wasn't fair, the rest was my own experience of it." she said, her voice cracking slightly. "Be sure that I will try my best not to meet you as long as I have to stay here."

Jareth started to get up from his chair, his hands balled into fists as he was trying to get back his composure, but Sarah didn't wait for his reply, and walked away from his office.

"I am sorry." he said to himself, while his gloved hands squeaked from the pressure. "I have no choice but to let you go…"

Behind the heavy wooden door of his office, goblins ran away as they heard a loud noise of crashing crystals.

The King was upset.

* * *

Sarah couldn't breathe. Her chest was way too heavy.

It was as if a monster was ripping her heart open, slowly covering each fresh wound with salt, in order to make her suffer even more. She was slowly remembering that evening, when she let her little brother come home from school, alone with his friends. That evening when he didn't come back.

As she was walking aimlessly in the cold sand-stoned corridors, she tried to stop the tears from falling, grudging herself for showing them to her enemy. How could he make herself act this way? When she has been able to deceive everyone, why wouldn't it work on him?

"It's okay" a comforting voice whispered. "It's better than suffering inside without expressing it."

Sarah felt two silky arms circling her shoulders. Aleesha was already behind her, of course.

She kept talking, as she was slightly hugging the young woman.

"No one would dare to call you a weak person, Sarah. It's okay to cry. You're not responsible." She said, slightly rocking her.

The young woman hesitated. If she knew, she would have someone to talk to. But if she didn't, she would have to explain it. And it would end her life.

"Do you know what happened, five years ago?" Sarah answered, hiccups in her voice.

"I do."

_What?_

"Then why didn't you stop it?" she spat, a flash of anger and angst in her voice. "Why didn't you save Toby too?!"

Aleesha stopped rocking Sarah, as the young woman turned to face her, waiting for an answer desperately.

"I couldn't. That was his fate. That's what I saw. And I knew at that time that you would be a part of our future, as I usually don't have visions of stranger's fates."

"And what about me! You saved me, yet you let that monster kill my little brother!" she cried.

"It wasn't your fate, Sarah. This was not the way you should die. I saw my brother saving you. All I had to do was to beg for his help." The blond Princess answered, her eyes begging for forgiveness.

_It's not fair!_

_Of course it's not. What were you expecting? Finding out that your murdered baby brother is safe and sound in the Underground, raised by a loving goblin family? Don't be stupid. You shouldn't cry, silly girl, because it won't change anything. It won't bring Toby back._

Sarah's eyes widened.

"Does _he_ know about Toby?"

"No. He didn't want to hear anything about you. I'm sorry."

"You shouldn't be. The contrary would surprise me." Sarah said, bitterness back in her voice. Her tears had dried up, and she was now full of sorrow and anger. Back to the unbreakable 'Ms. William's armor'.

"He doesn't want me here. He hates me more than I thought." She murmured.

"I'm afraid that I can't answer this question, because I simply don't know what my brother might have in his complicated mind…" Aleesha smiled slightly.

_Hold on a minute._

Sarah completely sobered up. Then she inclined her head and asked:

"Wait. You said that twice, I thought I heard wrong. Is…Is Jareth your husband, Aleesha?"

The Princess's eyes closed.

And she laughed. Hard. To the point that she couldn't breathe.

"My what? Oh Gods! Me. Married to that guy! Aha! Can't…Can't breathe! Ahaha!"

"Stop laughing. Answer me." Sarah was pouting.

"Certainly not! He's my big brother! I couldn't stand him for a week if he was my husband! He would already be dead, that stupid pighead!"

Sarah blushed, embarrassed by the way a delicate and fragile Fae Princess could talk about her brother, a mighty and dangerous King. She suppressed a smile. He had tricked her. Again. It brought back memories that, after all weren't that bad.

_Stop it now, Sarah Williams. No remembering of a dream-like ballroom, no sighing over an over puffy white gown and all. Stop it right now. _

"Aha! You smiled! And that's a victory for me!" the princess shouted, a proud grin on her face. "Now if you feel better, I think we should have lunch together, you must be very hungry, and I want to know more about you." She added, with a sweet smile.

_That woman is so cheerful. It feels good to be near her. _

"I'm following you Princess."

"Aleesha is enough. I hope we can be friends, you and me."

"I'm following you, Aleesha" Sarah answered, smiling back, as her stomach growled.


	5. Chapter 5 : Dancer in the Dark

Hi everyone !  
This chapter was inspired by "Dancer in the dark" by The Rasmus, and this is for me the best song to depict my Sarah. Don't hesitate to listen to my inspirational songs, because they help, in they way, to understand my evil plot! Muahaha!

This chapter is a bit shorter than the previous ones, but I think I will publish another one within this week!

I hope you will enjoy this darker chapter, because this is the real start of my evil plan.  
PPPPLLLLLUUUEEEEEESEEE REVIEW 3

Disclaimer: I don't own "Labyrinth" and it's character. I'm just having fun torturing them.

* * *

Chapter 5  
"Dancer in the dark"

It is said that far away from the Goblin's Realm, between the cold mountains of Agrelon, is a Castle.

Made of ice and rocks, some people think it simply arose from the depths of the earth, from the Dark Lands were the Dead Ones stay, forever. In its corridors, one can hear tormented souls screaming for help. On its tapestries, one can see the most horrible fates of humans and magical creatures.

And here, in the chaos of the mountains, reigns the King of the Nightmares.

No one knows what it really looks like, as it constantly wears a dark cape and a hood, and, as people say, transforms into your greatest fear. "If it looks at you, you're done!" they say. "If it asks you _the question_, you die."

It was a sunny day in the Underground, one of those which displeased the Nightmare King the most. Plus, that stupid human Ian Craff had failed in killing _the girl_.

Several centuries of schemes and betrayals had taught it to avoid getting involved with humans, for they were much too unreliable, but this time, it didn't have the choice. _The girl_ was living in the Aboveground, and it couldn't come personally. It wasn't strong enough.

Only The Goblin King could do it, and even for him, that must have cost him a great deal of magic without being summoned. But he wasn't weak enough to attack now. Not with his cursed sister and _the girl_ near him.

The King grunted. What seemed to be two eyes burned with anger under its black hood.

It turned its head and with a flick of its skinny and white wrist, destroyed one of its servants, who didn't have the time to scream, as he exploded, covering a carpet with blood and ashes. Three shadows appeared from the open door on the left side of the throne room where their King idly sat, and rapidly washed off the remains of their unlucky comrade.

_The girl_ was now in the Underground. It was sure of that. Lidyel told him. But that stupid Fae couldn't tell if she was really the one, which made the King's "eyes" glow furiously. The only option was to end her life, and see what happened.

"And this time, no human involved." The thing said to himself.

After a few minutes, the King of Nightmares stood up.

With a husky yet deep voice it talked to the shadows surrounding it.

"Summon Emery. She will kill the human girl living in the Goblin Castle, or she will die trying to. What's said is said."

It then disappeared, leaving the shadows alone, afraid and shivering.

* * *

"Those pancakes are gorgeous. Thank you very much Aleesha." Sarah said, munching.

"Thank the cooks, I don't know a thing about cooking. About housekeeping, either, in fact." the Princess answered, delicately licking some raspberry jam on her own pancake.

_Ah, Royalty…_

The two girls were idly eating and talking in Sarah's new chambers. After showing the young girl her new wardrobe, which consisted of dresses, dresses, and…dresses, -and after convincing Sarah not to destroy them all- Aleesha tried to calm her down by offering her a sugary meal.

After that, the young woman followed the blond Princess for a visit of the Castle "The Guest's Castle Tour!" said Aleesha, over exited. They spent three full hours discovering each room, except the King's quarters for Sarah's sanity, and then half an hour to get back to the guest's rooms.

"There! We are back! Do not worry, it will be easier to find your way here in a few days. Until then, if you need guidance, just call and I'll be here as soon as possible! Or if you feel brave enough, call a goblin, and you will find your way in about two hours…" the Princess giggled.

"It must be tough to handle them all day long." Sarah said.

"Oh I don't meet them very often. They are afraid of me. After all, I am 'The cursed Fae with the power'…" she answered, sighing, a defeated look on her face. "But Jareth spends a long time with them every day. I wonder how he can still be this patient with those little dummies. It doesn't surprise me when he just bogs them or kicks them out of the room, you know!"

Sarah looked at the Fae woman in front of her, a determined look on her face.

"He won't let me go, will he?"

That wasn't even a question.

"Whatever he plans to do, Sarah, I hope and think he will do it as a monarch. Try to consider him as he is, not as you think he is. Jareth is born and will forever be a King. He is in charge of thousands of souls, and for the last two hundred years, he has done a good job in protecting them from danger, and believe me Sarah, there are a lot of dangers in the Underground. If he said that you are his subject, then as long as you stay here, it also means that he will protect you." She answered, serious and confident.

Sarah sighed. How could she just stay here and live as if she wasn't in her nemesis' territory?

And why, when she was confronted to him, did she act as a stubborn child? Where has the strong and proud lawyer gone? It was like something had happened to her since she came, as if she wasn't really herself. As if she was missing ten years of her life.

Aleesha wouldn't know that, otherwise she would have given her an explanation, Sarah thought. So she decided to keep quiet about her preoccupations. Instead, she thanked Aleesha for her help during her first day in the castle, and put a hand on her bedroom's door, to make sure that the blond Princess clearly understood her will to cease any other discussion for the night.

"Aren't you going to have dinner with us?" Aleesha asked, surprised.

'_Us'. Her and Jareth. _

"I don't feel very hungry tonight, I'm sorry. See you tomorrow Aleesha. And thank you again for your help." Sarah answered, forcing a tired smile.

Inside, she was burning. She would have preferred dying of starvation than eating anything near to him.

"Alright." Aleesha only replied. "But I hope we will have dinner together tomorrow, Sarah. Have a good night." she added, curtsying slightly and, with a genuine yet a bit worried smile, she turned her back on the young woman, her golden hair waving over her slender hips.

Sarah entered the room. She closed the door behind her.

Inside, she saw with surprise that her bedroom had become…larger.

On the left side was the big wooden wardrobe, then the huge bed and a door leading to her bathroom. In front of her, a small window showed green forests bathed by the moonlight. And on the right side, the plain stone wall had been transformed into a big, beautiful chimney. A fire was set in it, and was gently warming up the place. In front of it, there was a sofa, matching the green velvet covering her bed. Sarah approached the fireplace slowly, amazed, and sat on the sofa. How comfortable it was! Just before the fireplace was a small wooden table, with a few books on it, and a piece of paper.

_What is this?_

She grabbed it. It was a letter.

She slowly unfolded it and was stunned.

The handwriting was perfect. A bit pompous with all these curves, but perfect.

She started reading it.

_I thought you might feel more at ease with some books at your disposal. I guess you're still the same bookworm I met ten years ago. This kind of sickness usually doesn't disappear with the years. _

_Feel free to go wherever you might want in the Castle, except the throne room and my apartments. But I assume you would not want to come here willingly anyway.  
__Aleesha might be a bit intrusive, so do not hesitate and tell her right away when you need to be alone. And don't pay attention to her whining, it's her way of getting what she wants. That, and telling you that you will do it anyway, because she 'saw it so just give up'. _

_My castle is a bit cold at night, a fireplace was necessary as you're not used to it. I enchanted it, so in the future, just clap your hands and a fire will appear should you need it. _

_I wouldn't have taken you back if there had been another way to save you. But there wasn't. So I hope that you will consider this place as a new home. As for me, I won't get in your way. Let's live our lives as complete strangers, and this situation will be better for both of us._

_Jareth, Goblin King._

_PS: I would appreciate if you could dry your tears. You're quite ugly when you cry. _

.

.

.

"Wow, I wonder whether I should frame this thing as a proof of a non-violent agreement, or throw it in the fire for that last line. Tough choice." Sarah dryly commented.

Instead, she chose to fold the letter and put it back on the small table.

_I'm not keeping his letter. I'm actually keeping the proofs. That's all. If he plans to kick me out of here, I will be ready to fight his Majesty!_

Sarah glanced at the pile of books. For an angry Goblin King who didn't care about his guest, he was acting as a good host. She caressed the covers with the tip of her fingers. The brown leather covers were soft to the touch, and the golden letters were forming titles of the classical English literature, as well as fantasy books, a few of them probably written in the Underground.

Sarah sighed. It was so strange to think that from today on, she was a part of this kingdom, a part of her teenage fantastic stories. She yawned. The day has been long, and she was exhausted. She turned to face her bed, and found the light green nightgown lying on it. She quickly undressed and smile delightedly as she undid her tight hair bun. No need to dress like this anymore. No need to act like everyone is expecting her to act anymore. For he will never ask for anything.

In a sense, she was free.

She slowly entered her bed, relaxing in the soft warm sheets. Soon after that, sleep claimed her, and she closed her green eyes.

She didn't see the shadow creeping from the window.

She didn't see when it approached her, sending chilly waves down her pale neck, as it stared at her.

She didn't hear as it closed the heavy door with a flick of it's skinny wrist, and as it grinned.

* * *

She was back.

Her home was just after the corner of this street, she knew it.

After all, she grew up there.

It was a sunny day, and a warm breeze caressed her cheeks.

She took a few steps, and stopped, surprised by the sound of her feet on the ground.

No uncomfortable high heels clicking.

She looked at herself.

Her hands were a bit smaller, and she was wearing her favorite blue jeans and plain white poet shirt. Her hair was longer too.

She was fifteen again.

She happily ran towards her house.

In there, there would be her family. Everyone would be waiting for her.

Her dad.  
_I'm sorry I didn't call you more for these ten last years, dad. I love you. _

A disturbing feeling crept inside her, as if something was scratching her arms.

Her stepmother.  
_I'm sorry I didn't act nicer with you when I was here. You were the best mom I had. I love you._

Again, that strange feeling. It felt like the thing was nearly hurting her this time.

She turned the corner of the street. There, in front of her eyes, was the house were her childhood rested. There, in these beautiful white wooden walls, were the memories of a young teenager who grew up too fast, but too late.

The feeling became stronger.

Her half brother.  
_…I'm sorry,Toby…!_

On her arms, the feeling had transformed into an insufferable pain. It was like claws were ripping her flesh. The pain grew stronger and stronger, as she saw the blurry face of her family, slowly disappearing from her sight. She let out a loud cry…

…and woke up.

She was sweating. The room was very cold.

And her arm hurt.

* * *

"Master, I found her!" the creature happily gasped, looking straight at a distorted mirror.

"Good. Don't act too fast. The King will feel it otherwise." the hooded thing in the mirror answered.

"But, Master…" the little creature seemed to hesitate. "It's like it's not _the girl_. Well, it's her, it's _the heir_'s sister. But…"

"But what, Emery?" the thing was getting upset.

"The Goblin King is not her lover, Master. They are enemies. They always were. Could it be... Could it be that Lidyel was wrong?" the creature called Emery trembled in fear.

"Lidyel is never wrong. She is my most talented prophet. Do what I ordered you, and cease to ask pointless questions."

Emery quickly bowed, and with a shriek, disappeared in a poof.

The game started.


	6. Chapter 6 : You will be the death of me

Hi everyone!  
Happy New Year! Love, health and fandom!

And Happy Birthday to David Bowie who came back to us todaaaaay!

Finally a new chapter. It took some time, but december and january means exams to me, so I'm half dead now...  
This one is a bit longer than the previous one, my Christmas gift!

Song : Time is running out _ Muse (I think Muse has something very appealing...don't you? It fits Jareth so much!)

Disclaimer : I don't own anything or anyone, and I didn't find Jareth under my Christmas tree T_T

* * *

Chapter 6

"You Will be the death of me"

Sarah violently woke up. Panting, she rose from her bed and sat on the couch, near the roaring fire.  
The flames were intense, yet she felt so cold. She was trying to warm up by approaching her trembling arms, when she noticed it.

She was bruised.

Her wrists, her elbows, her entire arms were hurt.  
She could even see some scratches, and some slightly bleeding.

_When did this happen? Who did this?  
Wait Sarah, think calmly for a minute. You could have hurt yourself while sleeping, on the wooden bars of the bed for example. Yes. You had a nightmare and you struggled, and that's why only your arms are hurt. Nothing could make those kind of marks without waking you up except yourself. _

Her eyes widened.

_Could it be that I hurt myself voluntarily? Toby's death is still vivid in my mind, I could have done it, it happens within traumatized people. And my return in the Labyrinth could be the reason why it got worse. It brings back painful memories after all.  
What will Aleesha say? Oh I hope she didn't see me in her visions. And what would he say? Would he laugh? Make fun of me? I need to hide these cuts otherwise I'll be sent in the closest Goblin Madhouse. _

Outside, the sun was slowly rising in the sky. It was already morning.  
Suddenly, Sarah jumped as she heard a soft knock on the door.

_I need to hurry and hide those marks!_

Sarah ran towards her wardrobe, and found a silky black house coat with long sleeves. She quickly dressed up and opened the door.

"May Bloowy enter, Sarah Lady?"

Sarah thought that the little Goblin Maid was very brave to come here again, after her stupid little crisis of the last morning. Even if she was slightly wary, she entered and walked to the small table, resting her tray on it and turning to face her guest.

"Good day to ya, Sarah Lady. Hope ya slept well. Here'z yar breakfast! Do ya need anything? Boss Lady asks if ya want to come in the East Gardens after yar ready."

_Already waiting for me? Seems like I won't have time to feel lonely._

"Thank you, Bloowy, I won't need help. Tell Aleesha" –the Goblin maid twitched as Sarah used her mistress' name- "that I will be there as soon as possible. And…I'm sorry, for yesterday. I was nervous and tired, and I shouldn't have vented my anger on you. Do you forgive me?" Sarah asked, smiling uneasily.

Again, the Goblin Maid raised an eyebrow.

"Sarah Lady, King is waaay more inventive than ya in venting his anger on us, ya know. I don't forgive ya, because there znothing to be sorry of. Do not worry about Bloowy." She replied, showing yellow pointy teeth and waving her little hand in the air as if to sweep away the problem.

Sarah genuinely smiled. She wouldn't start a new life with making enemies, except for that Fae Bastard, but she considered him as a former enemy, so she certainly would not feel guilty about that.  
As she was approaching her meal, she noticed that the little Goblin girl hadn't moved an inch. She looked worried and was staring at her.

"In fact, it's Sarah Lady who should worry about herself." She stated.  
"What should I worry about?" Sarah was surprised by her blunt comment.  
"Sarah Lady is hurt. Bloowy can see it. Be careful Sarah Lady, healers here don't know 'bout humans."

Sarah didn't utter a word. How could she know? Her arms were perfectly hidden. She shouldn't have been able to see the cuts.

"I can feel yar in greaty pain Sarah Lady. Physical or not, Bloowy daz not know." She said, putting some bread on a silver plate.

"Don't say anything to Aleesha, promise me!" Sarah looked a bit panicked, behind her casual mask.

"Do not worry Sarah Lady, not my job to tell secrets! But if ya want to hide thingz from Boss Lady, ya'll have to use a little trick of mine. Just ask Bloowy the right queshion."

"What do I need to do in order for her not to see what I'm hiding?"

"Boss Ladyz powers are limited. She getz tired easily. Get her attention on something else, ask her to see other thingz, and Boss Lady won't be able to look at ya. It works when Bloowy makes a mistake and dazn't want Boss Lady to know." The little Goblin grinned.

Sarah nodded. "I will try that, thank you, Bloowy."

"Yar welcome Sarah Lady. Ah! Bloowy forgot! Ya must prepare, 'cauze someone wanted to visit ya before you…"

"Oh come on, little thing! I don't give it a damn if she is in her nightgown! I just want to see her!" a masculine voice shouted, before slamming the door open.

Sarah tightened her house coat as she saw Dorian in the entrance, another tray of food in his hands. He was smiling happily, and she felt warmer, even if she was a bit uneasy.

"Good day to you, Sleeping Beauty!" he said. "Did you sleep well?"

"Hello Dorian, in fact, not really, I had a nightmare." She answered, as she got up of the couch.

"Ah, it must be the change of bedroom. I always have nightmares when I'm not in my own bed! I hope it will be better tonight."

"I hope so…" she said under her breath.

"Anyways ! I'm here because I heard you didn't have any dinner yesterday, so that means you didn't eat my wonderful cake, Sarah!" he pouted.  
Sarah giggled. This man could be so childish, yet so comforting...

"Did you bring me some?"

"Yup! Have a bite!"

As Sarah was walking towards Dorian, she heard Bloowy mutter a 'goodbye', then she left the room, leaving a hot cup of tea and the silver plate, with bread and jam on it.  
The young woman picked up a spoon from Dorian's tray and took a bit of cake. It was delicious. It tasted like a 'Forêt Noire', a chocolate cake with tasty cherries in it.

Sarah couldn't resist sweet things. She let him enter without taking the spoon out of her mouth; with a waving hand she invited him to sit on a chair near the fireplace.  
She sat in front of him, across the little table. He put the cake on it, still smiling as she grabbed the plate and plunged her spoon in its creamy icing.

She had just realized that she was starving.  
The sugary breakfast was bringing her to life. Her arms were not hurting as much as before, and even if it was an illusion due to distraction, she appreciated it.

She blinked. Dorian was staring at her, his hands supporting his head, smiling.

"What is it?" she asked, munching.

"You are actually quite beautiful, Sarah." He said, bluntly. Then he coughed and added "Well, much more than when you just stormed out of my kitchen, not even taking the time to say goodbye!" he laughed, his hazel eyes shining.

She ignored his compliment.

"I had something to settle with…with someone. Excuse me for leaving so abruptly."

"No problem. You can always come back another day!" he smiled.

"And I will. I think I'm in love with your cakes, Dorian." the young woman added, putting a cherry in her mouth.

"I think so too…" he mumbled, glancing away.

She finished her tea and they cleaned the table. Then Dorian took the tray and walked towards the door.

"Have a nice day in the Goblin Realm, Sarah. I hope we will see each other tonight, as I'm the one in charge of serving their Majesties, and guest, for dinner." He said, opening the door.

"Have a good day too, Dorian. I will be there."

_Yeah well, Dorian is nice, and I don't need to starve just to avoid seeing that fae bastard._

"Wait, Sarah."

Dorian lifted one hand, and placed a finger near her mouth. He lightly swept something away, rubbing the corner of her lower lip.

"Chocolate."

She froze.

"Oh, thank you." She murmured confusedly.

"So cute."

He then went in the corridors, gently humming a song about sweets.  
After that, a dozen goblins wildly screamed 'foodboy!' while running in his direction.

Sarah laughed.  
She softly touched her warming cheek, absent-mindedly.  
A ray of light came from her window, and she jumped.

"The Princess! She's waiting!" she screamed before rushing into her bathroom.

Outside, a white barn owl quietly left her windowsill, and let out an angry squawk as it flew away.

* * *

"Finally, she's coming." The blond woman smiled, rising from her wooden bench. She was wearing a deep purple long dress, along with a red long-sleeved velvet coat. Her long golden hair was tied in a complicated braid and fell on her shoulder.

Sarah exited the castle after a few wrong turns and a lot of angry insults for the tricky, multiple paths. She had grabbed a knee-length blue dress, black leather boots and a black short coat she found in her wardrobe. She didn't know who prepared it, but those clothes strangely fitted her.  
She noticed the entrance of a small garden in front of her. Inside, she noticed that it was very neat and tidy, each bush looked well kept, everything was perfect.

_The goblins must be banned from there, otherwise it would be completely destroyed...  
_  
When the young woman saw the Princess, she didn't feel ashamed for previously thinking that Aleesha might have been Jareth's wife. She was really a queen, in many aspects. She looked proud, powerful, and beautiful. She deserved that title.

Except when she talked.

"Dear Sarah! How was your first real night in our Kingdom? Did you get lost in the Castle? What a nice outfit you're wearing! It suits you! Jareth would love it!" she giggled.

_Why does she need to mention that jerk? I wanted to have a nice day today. Wait. Just distract her, don't talk about your night and everything will go smoothly. _

"Good day to you Aleesha. I had a good night thank you. I tried to ask my way from a few goblins, but each one of them pointed a different direction, sorry to make you wait."

"Oh that's okay! I was admiring the flowers." She smiled and invited Sarah to follow her for a walk through the Garden." You know, for a long time after we got here, Jareth and me, there were no flowers. The goblins couldn't take care of it enough, and the ground was so dry that nothing could grow there. But then, something happened, and my brother changed. He ordered that a garden should be created with grass from our birth land. He hired elf gardeners to take care of it. And this land became fertile again.

"What happened?" Sarah asked, looking at the beautiful blooming daisies and roses.  
"You came." she simply said.  
"That's ridiculous." The young woman shrugged.  
"Think what might please you, but my brother has changed since that day, Sarah. For good or not, I haven't decided yet." the blond added, while picking a red rosebud near her. She softly whispered bringing it close to her mouth and it bloomed in a few seconds. Aleesha then handed it to Sarah, who took the rose and smelled its perfume, calming down.  
"I have nothing to do with him, Aleesha. If he developed a gardening hobby, well that's good for him, but that doesn't concern me."  
"How can the both of you be so stubborn? It's incre…"

Suddenly, Aleesha stopped walking. She turned back to look at Sarah, she was trembling. The Princess caught Sarah's hand and exhaled as if she was possessed.  
Her crystalline eyes were wide open and glowing. She was now clenching Sarah's hand to the point it hurt.  
"Aleesha? Is there something wrong?" Sarah nervously asked, trying to free her hand in vain. Inside her palm, the crushed rose let out a red drop on the grass.

"You are concerned, Sarah Williams." A deep, hoarse voice replaced the soft whisper of the Fae Princess. "For your fate is connected to Jareth, Goblin King's fate."

_What the hell is going on? My hand hurts! _

"The way forward is not the way back anymore, Sarah Williams. Time will come to make a decision. For you are not the Princess in the story. You are…"

Aleesha released Sarah's hand and collapsed on the floor.  
"Princess! Princess! Somebody! Help me!" Sarah screamed as she tried to lift her head and felt her pulse slowly decreasing. She was so cold now, and getting paler and paler.  
Sarah felt as if something was coming out of her own body, and her own hand felt cold now. Her vision went blurry. And then…

A white feathery form reaching the ground in front of her.  
That was all she saw before strong arms pushed her out of the way. She regained her full senses as she recognized the man in a black armor, his blond hair wildly floating on his shoulders as he turned to look at the unconscious woman on the floor.  
He was delicate but fast, as he carried his sister's numb body.

_Jareth._

"She doesn't have it. Take some of mine in her place." He said, putting a hand on Aleesha's head.

The Princess slowly moved.  
And clenched the King's throat with her left hand.  
She opened her eyes as he suppressed a displeased hiss.

"I am sorry." she whispered. "Is she okay?"

He glanced at the young woman behind him. Sarah glared suspiciously at him.

"She is safe, same as always." He replied.

"Good. I will be okay, brother. Thank you."

"Prepare yourself. I'm transporting you to your quarters. Bloowy is already waiting." He said, while she disappeared in a blink.

Sarah was there, sitting on the ground, waiting for an explanation. Jareth turned to face her, irritated.

"What did you do?" he asked abruptly, pinching his nose to calm himself down.

"Me? I didn't do anything! We were chatting, when she caught my hand and said…"

"What did she say? Tell me, I order you!" he was furious, and Sarah was getting angrier. She didn't deserve to get scolded like a little girl, and seeing the only person she didn't want to meet was really getting on her nerves.

"I don't remember, okay? And stop talking to me like that!" she yelled.

"You are trespassing beyond your rights. Watch your tongue."

_Breath, Sarah. Concentrate on the important points. _

"What happened?"  
He tsked. Explaining things was really not his favorite kind of conversation.

"She had a prediction. She spoke about your future. When it comes to her, she needs magic. More than her body can produce. So she takes some from those near to her. Most of the time, people just faint and then regain consciousness after a few minutes."  
He glared at Sarah.

"But you are not Fae. You have no magic. Nothing that she could use anyway. So she had to take the only thing that was inside you. Your life force. That was very dangerous! You could have died!"

He was like a tiger, ready to rip her to pieces. Fury was the only emotion Sarah could feel behind his mismatched ice blue eyes.

_Okay, time to get out of there._

"You saved me. Again." she stated.  
"Don't be stupid. My sister was in danger, I helped her. Get back in the Castle, she will be fine." he said before disappearing, as fast as he came, leaving the young woman breathless, angry, and alone.

On the ground, laid a crushed blood-red rose, and a few messy feathers.

* * *

Sarah didn't want to disturb Aleesha's rest, as some goblins said to the human girl that she was asleep. She asked them to let her know when the Princess was feeling better, and decided to spend the rest of the morning trying to memorize the tricky paths in the Castle.  
When lunch time came, she was back in her room, and Bloowy entered.

"Time to eat, Sarah Lady!" she said with a smile.

"Thank you Bloowy. How is the Princess?" Sarah asked with a concerned look.

"She'zokay of course! Kingz' magic is huge! She'zalways tired after a prediction, don't be too worried. How do YA feel, Sarah Lady?" she said, raising her messy eyebrow.

"I feel fine, I think. I don't understand anything about what she said." Sarah answered, while starting to eat a bit of grilled lamb with roasted potatoes.

"Do not worry 'bout this. Princess' predictions are a glimpse of destiny, ya can't go against it. So don't think 'bout it cauz even if you do, it won't change anything."

"That's such a simple way to deal with it. Aren't you afraid of the future?"

The goblin maid conjured a pillow and sat on it.

"We people of the Underground believe that fate can't be changed. So we don't interfere with prophet's -that's the way Princess' kinds are called- sayings. But as we can't change fate, a lot of us are afraid of prophets and what they could say to us. But Bloowy iznot. Bloowy believes that Princess has to tell thingz, and it's part of fate that she tells thingz to us." She explained, looking into Sarah's eyes.

"It must be hard for her. That is a heavy gift." Sarah said.

"That's why King and Princess came here! Goblins have nothing to do with fate! Most of them only think about sleeping and eating, perfect life! And the other'z are faithful to their masters, so they will never think about leaving."

"I understand."

_So that means that they are not from here. Aleesha mentioned it earlier too. They came here so that she can live without being rejected. Such a sad life. _

"Eat, Sarah Lady! And enjoy yar day! King has given ya a lot of beautiful book, and they're in yar language, why not reading them this afternoon?" Bloowy suggested while getting up. "The tray will disappear once ya wish it. Have a good day, Sarah Lady! And don't think about that anymore!" she smiled.

"Thank you Bloowy. I think I will read some of them then."

The goblin walked to the door, and stopped, her wrinkled hand on the doorknob. She hesitated.

"Sarah Lady, Bloowy is wrong. Not all the people of the Underground believe in fate."

"What do you mean?"

"King dazn't."

She bowed and closed the door behind her.

* * *

After lunch, Sarah idly sat on the couch and thought about her new life.  
Aleesha's prediction did have an impact on her. She was worried.

What did that 'bond' thing mean?  
Would she have to spend the rest of her life near Jareth? Would she have to wait patiently for a sign? Would she ever be able to love someone and be loved, trapped in this castle?  
She shrugged and wiped away her thoughts. It was unproductive to speculate about the future.

_Let's rest for a few days. Action can wait. _

For five years she has kept working on and on, to keep her mind busy, to stop thinking about the past, and now that her condition changed, she needed something to imprison those thoughts again.

She grabbed the first book she could see on the small wooden table before her.  
"Romeo and Juliet" _How original._ _A story about two stupid teenagers falling in love when they were supposed to be enemies. Then dying in a theatrical way. Boring. Next.  
_"Twilight". _A story about an impossible love between an immortal beautiful being and a plain human girl. Where did he manage to find this?!_  
_Oh._  
"The Phantom of the Opera." _Sounds good! _

Sarah read the adventure of Christine Daaé all afternoon. After grunting and cursing the heroine for having chosen the wrong guy, she closed her book and sat near the windowsill.

The sun was slowly setting on the Labyrinth. Its rusty and crumbling walls were slowly sliding, and it was almost like every fiber of it was falling asleep along with the sun.  
When did she stop believing in its existence? Was it when Toby died? Was it before, when her stepmother threw away her toys and books telling her to grow up faster? Or was it when she chose to live for her job, and bury her feelings deep inside her mind?

Sarah was slowly drowning in her sorrowful thoughts when she heard, again, a knock on the door.

_Everyone seems to have the perfect timing in this castle. Unbelievable. _

A short yet very distinguished elf boy entered the room. His purple eyes looked at her respectfully as he bowed and announced that dinner would be ready in half an hour. He also said he would come back on time to escort her to the dining room. After this, he clapped his hands and a dress appeared on her bed. Looking closely at her, he waved his hand toward the gown and its size reduced a little bit.  
_So that's why everything fits me!_  
He bowed again, and he was gone, as quickly as he came.

Half an hour before meeting_ him _again.

_Woopeedoo. _

She looked around her room. Then she noticed a little clock on the wall near the fireplace. Apparently, it was 19:30.

Damn those thirteen hours.

Sarah went to the bathroom and took a hot and long shower. Would they forget about her if she just stayed here?

_Stop dreaming, Sarah._

When the room went steamy, she half-heartedly got out of the tub and left the warm embrace of water to prepare for the cold company of the King.  
She entered the bedroom again, wrapped in a white towel, and stepped towards her bed, where her dress laid.  
It was an emerald Victorian bustle gown, with long sleeves of black lace.

_Good. It will cover my bruises._

It was beautiful, almost magic. Sarah wondered why, if they treated their guests so well, the Majesties didn't have any visitors.

_It must be Jareth's temper. They are afraid of him of course. Who wouldn't be? _

A pair of black heeled shoes was put near her wardrobe. In one of it, a piece of paper was folded..

"What is that?" the young woman wondered as she took it and unfold it.

_After a few hours testing them, my goblins can assure me that you won't be able to run away without falling miserably with those things on your feet. So don't think about it and come to dinner tonight. Aleesha will be happy to see you.  
J._

"No escape huh. You even thought about it. How can you know that much about me even though we've only met a few times?" She asked to herself, distractedly crushing the letter and throwing it in the fire. She let her towel fall on the stone ground and started to dress up.

* * *

"She is late." He mumbled.

"You're wrong, we are always too early. And stop pouting, aren't you too old for that?" She talked back.

"Watch your tongue, Sister. I'm a King before being a brother."

"See? You're pouting…" Aleesha looked at her brother, doubtful. "I am alright, don't worry. And Sarah is not hurt, I resisted absorbing her life by knocking myself out…Speaking of it, your timing was quite perfect at that time, could it be that you were spying on us?" the princess lifted a curious and amused eyebrow, lifting her chin as she questioned her brother.

Jareth rose from his seat. He looked preoccupied. His gloved hands behind his back, he started pacing in the dining room. After a long silence, he finally said:

"She's so fragile, 'Leesha. She has no magic. Didn't I give her some powers, that day?"

Aleesha's eyes went wide. She smiled.

"You care. About her."

"Didn't you hear what I just said?" he answered, pissed. "I am King. That will never happen and you know very well why."

"I do. After all, am I not the one who ruined your life?" the princess whispered.

"Don't you dare saying that ever again, 'Leesha. You know you're not responsible of what you saw. It was…"

The door slowly opened. And Sarah entered. Her raven hair was falling on her slender shoulders, and the emerald dress suited her perfectly, revealing her adult curves when she moved.

"…inevitable." Jareth murmured. He regained his cold composure instantly and as Sarah joined them, he sat silently at the table, glancing at the woman.

"Am I late?" Sarah politely asked to Aleesha, carefully avoiding Jareth's eyes.

"No dear, you're right on time." The Princess answered, smiling cheerfully.

"How do you feel? Are you okay now?" the young woman was worried.

Aleesha came to her side, lightly brushing her hair between her pale fingers.

"I am okay, thanks to Jareth. It is I who should be sorry. It was not the best visit of the gardens…Anyway! We should start eating dinner! Take a seat Sarah!" she invited her to sit in front of her, while the Goblin King was on her right side, at the head of the table.

Uncomfortable.

Yes, it was the best word to describe Sarah's position. She really didn't want to stay here, but going back would mean losing that little silent battle between herself and Jareth. And that would never happen. She waited patiently for dinner to be served.  
On the other side, Jareth was looking at the window. The sky was blackening as the moon slowly rose between the clouds.

As no one seemed to start a conversation and as this peaceful war was pissing her off, Aleesha decided to speak first.

"You look gorgeous in that dress Sarah! I hope you like it!"

Sarah smiled back at her.

"Thank you. The dress is really beautiful. I love green."

"I thought so, and I'm happy to see it suits your tastes. I think green is really your color. What do you think about it, Jareth?" she innocently looked at her brother, half-smiling.

He deigned looking at Sarah, who suppressed a wince at Aleesha's question.

"Indeed. The dress is quite well-made." He coldly answered.

As Sarah was silently debating the meanings of his answer, and as Aleesha was trying to kill her brother with her burning and frustrated glare, a small bell indicated that dinner was ready. Sarah turned her back to look at the huge wooden doors. They opened, and five fae entered, carrying silver trays.

They ate in silence, a pleased one for Jareth, a frustrated one for Aleesha, and an acceptable one for Sarah.

The dishes eaten, they heard a strange squeak in the corridors. Sarah jumped. Old habits are hard to forget, and she was still wary of goblins' screams.

"Here he is" Aleesha said while smiling "Foodboy as they call him."

"Dorian." Sarah whispered.

The Goblin King grunted.

In a blink, he was in the room, a big cake in his hands, and a bright smile on his face.  
_Always cheerful._

"Good evening, your majesties. Tonight, in honor of our guest, I've made my special 'pear delight'. It's a chocolate mousse with slices of fresh pears and pear liquor."

"Thank you very much. As always it looks delicious." Aleesha politely said, inviting him with a move of her hand to serve his dessert.

After giving a piece of cake to the Majesties, Dorian approached Sarah. As he was leaning to place the place before her, he murmured in her ear, making her jump in surprise.

"I hope you're not allergic to pears as you are to peaches, Sarah. That would be too cruel!"

She giggled. On the other side of the table, the Goblin King stabbed his cake with his spoon.

"It's okay. I love pears. Thank you, Dorian." She smiled as the young man got back to the kitchens.

Jareth suddenly got up of his chair, and walked towards the door. He seemed tense.  
As his sister called him, he turned back to face her, and answered to her surprised eyes.

"I still have some work to do before tomorrow, sister. If you'll excuse me. Have a good night." He said, slamming the door behind him as he left, without a glance for his guest.

"I'm sorry Sarah. He has been in a bad mood these last few days." The princess said, uneasy.

_Since I came, to be more precise._ Sarah suppressed a knowing smirk.

They silently finished their dinner, and they retired to their rooms for the night.

* * *

"It's finally over!" she cried, sitting happily on her bed.

As soon as she had entered her room, Sarah had jumped out of her heavy dress and tricky shoes and then had put on her simple cotton nightgown. Grabbing a fur blanket, she got up of the bed and went to sit on the couch, in front of the fireplace. She clapped her hand and the fire instantly roared before her. She sighed in contentment as the warmth caressed her cheeks. She took a book randomly on the table and started reading it.

"Beauty and the Beast". The story about a young girl imprisoned in a cursed prince's castle, who manages to see the man behind his horrible appearance and behaviour.

_Is it me or does Jareth really likes irony?_

After a few minutes reading, thanks to the warm waves of the fire and the comfortable couch and blanket, Sarah fell asleep.

She didn't hear the poofing sound near the window.

She didn't feel the soft tingling as a gloved hand stroked her cheek before putting her book away of her.

She didn't see the blond one disappearing in darkness.

But what she felt, a few minutes after, was the cold presence creeping inside her head.


	7. Chapter 7 : Je dors sur des roses

Hi everyone!

Here is my new chapter! I hope you will enjoy it! **Don't forget** to leave a little comment about my work, your feelings... I'm eager to know if you're pleased.

The title comes from the french musical 'Mozart l'Opéra Rock'. This is really a wonderful show and I really recommend it. 'Je dors sur des roses' means 'I sleep on roses', which is not, in this case, a positive thing... Check out the lyrics!

Disclaimer: I WISH THE GOBLINS WILL COME AND TAKE ME AWAY RIGHT NOW! ...Erm. Complete failure. I don't own Labyrinth nor its citizens...

* * *

Chapter 7

"Je dors sur des roses."

_Uh? What am I doing here? Is it the Labyrinth?  
No. I'm in the Escher Room. _

"I ask for so little…"

A voice. How could Sarah forget this voice… _His_ voice.  
She touched her chest. It hurt.

"You asked for too much! I was too young! I had to protect my brother!" she shouted.

_But you failed. The baby was taken, in the end…_

Her vision became blurry as a feathery phantom appeared behind the stone wall.  
When she could see again, she was in front of her parents' house.

"Mama! I'm going to school!"

_No…No, please, not him. That's too cruel. _A lonely tear fell on the grass as Sarah saw her young brother going out of the house, a bright smile on his face.

She tried to move, to come near him, to tell him to stay at home for the day. But she couldn't. Her feet wouldn't move. She stood there, on the green grass, sobbing, as her brother walked towards the street. Her arms hurt as if a beast was shredding her flesh, but she didn't care. _He suffered so much more._

He stopped.

_Why did he stop?_

The ray of hope disappeared as fast as it came when she saw the little boy coming back to the house, opening the door, and shouting:

"I'm going sis! Goodbye!"

_Stop him Sarah! Don't let him go alone!_

"Bye Toby! Take care!"

_No…_

Her brother came back to the street. But he didn't walk down the road to reach his bus stop. Instead, he turned to face Sarah, and she screamed as she noticed his wicked smile and the bruises on his face. As if possessed, he talked, with a rasping voice.

"You know, Sarah Williams, you're the one who could have stopped this. You didn't. You let me die. Alone." He laughed.

"No, no Toby, I didn't know, how could have I known what would happen? I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…Toby..." she was pleading him, as she fell on her knees, her tears now flowing endlessly.

"That's a bit too late to be sorry, don't you think? I think it is. I think you should pay now. With your life…" he grabbed Sarah's throat with one hand, suffocating her. She coughed, but couldn't free herself from his tight grip. She thought about letting him have his revenge. She slowly closed her eyes, peaceful.

"No! Not like this! I want you to suffer, you bitch!" a feminine voice came out of Toby's body, and Sarah reopened her eyes, surprised by the sudden change of attitude.  
She just saw a distorted face. Not Toby's face…

.

…and she woke up.

.

.

Drip….

Drip…Drip…

_Uh…My throat hurts…so much…_

Drip…Drip…Drip…

_Why is my heart pounding so fast in my ears?_

Drip…Drip…

Sarah opened her eyes. She was still on the couch, her left arm hanging off, into the air.

_What is that strange sound? What is that red color everywhere?_

Then she understood.

Blood.

Staining her nightgown.

Blood.

Dripping from her left hand.

She coughed. It hurt. As if she had been strangled.

_But that's what happened. _

She tried to raise her head, but felt dizzy.

_Wait. Get up Sarah, get up now, otherwise you will die in that couch. Get up!_

With all her willpower, she managed to sit on the couch, and then quickly checked her wounds.  
There were deep cuts on her arms, more on the left one, on her tights, a big bruise between her breasts. The cuts were too deep, she was losing too much blood, she needed to stop the hemorrhage as fast as possible. She ripped her skirt in long pieces of fabric and tightly bandaged the wounds. She winced as the pieces of fabric touched her flesh and repressed a scream as she pulled on it to tighten the knots.

_This should be okay for now…I hope…_

She coughed. With her right hand, she lightly touched her neck. The skin was scratched, but at least, it wasn't bleeding.  
The young woman tried to get up. Grabbing a corner of the couch, she put her weight on her right arm. She staggered a little bit, and felt the insufferable pain coming from her wounds. As she was moving, it was reopening and a few bloody drops fell on the stoned ground.

"Okay, let's just stay on that couch" she mumbled with a faint voice.

She laid on it, putting a pillow behind her head, and took a deep breath. It was now pretty clear that she didn't do this herself. There wasn't any knife or pointy object near her.

But Sarah wasn't even thinking about that anymore. Panic ran through her.  
What if what she saw in that dream was true? What if Toby hated her and wished for her death? What if she was responsible for what happened?

Slowly, silently, dark thoughts crept in her mind. Warm tears rolled on her cheeks as she silently cried, protecting her pride by hiding her watery eyes with a bruised hand.

The fire had been put out. There was no light, no warmth, in Sarah's heart.

* * *

Morning.

"Bloowy?"  
"Yes, Boss Lady?"  
"Do you think my decision was right? Concerning Sarah."

The little goblin put the brush she was holding on the large bed.  
Aleesha rose from her velvet chair, and started pacing in her large room.

"Bloowy znot wise enough to give an advice to ya, Majesty" the maid answered. "But can Bloowy ask something?" she glanced at the princess, who was distractedly looking at the window.  
"Hm." She nodded.  
"Izn't Princess toying with Lady Sarah? Ya know what will happen, yet ya let her follow that path… Izn't it cruel for Lady Sarah, and for King?"

The blond fae faintly smiled while closing her eyes, as if defeated. She walked towards Bloowy, crouched in front of her to be at the level of her small eyes. In her silk pale pink wardrobe, with her straight hair falling on her crystal-blue eyes and on her thin shoulders, she looked fragile. Weak.

"The Gods gave me this power to help Them. To accomplish Their will. Jareth too. His incredible powers were given to him in order for him to rule over the whole Underground, not only that little Goblin Kingdom, Bloowy. Even you can feel his strength, even if he doesn't realize it himself for now. And even if it means sacrificing Sarah, who I love and respect a lot, in order to put my brother on the throne he truly deserves, and bringing him happiness, then be it. I don't know everything, but at least, I'm sure of that."  
"But wouldn't it be sad to be lonely for the rest of his life, yar Majesty?"  
"The only interest in my brother's life is power. We all know that fact. I'm using my curse to bless my brother. This is my only purpose, this is the Gods' will, this is why I have this power. The Underground needs a King." Aleesha answered, a proud and decided look on her beautiful face.

She walked towards her bathroom. Putting her left hand on the doorknob, she turned to look at her confused maid.

"You too, Bloowy, are responsible. You will have a part to play in the future, and Sarah will need you." She closed her eyes, and touched her head with her right hand. "I forbid you to assist Sarah today. I will take responsibility for that. But be prepared, as you are going to be punished by my brother." She added, sighing.

"Yes, Majesty." Bloowy answered, a worried look on her face, before getting out of her mistress' room.

The pain was getting more intense.  
But she deserved it.  
Her blood was slowly dripping on the soft carpet, as a red tribute to her brother.

_He suffered so much more…Because of me…_

Her vision was blurry. What time was it? She didn't hear Bloowy's soft knock on the door. She wouldn't have let her enter though. No one should enter. Unconsciousness darkened her vision.

_Tonight… It will come back. Tonight… I die. And you won't save me this time, Goblin King…_

* * *

Afternoon.

"Why are you smiling brother? It looks strange on you…" Aleesha teased.  
"Today seems to be a good day. Look, already noon and no Sarah to disturb my peace. How agreeable." Jareth answered, putting a red grape in his mouth.

Aleesha looked away.

"Would you be happier? If she wasn't here anymore."  
"You know she wouldn't survive alone in the Underground. That little girl. Still, it would be quite amusing to abandon her in Elveila's Forest…" he smirked, already imagining a new scheme.  
"You are dodging my question, brother." She sounded serious.  
The King didn't answer. He simply got up of his chair and stood behind his sister. He murmured over her shoulder.

"I, Jareth Goblin King, won't lose my head over a mere human girl, nor over any woman, Aleesha. Your prediction was wrong. I won't lose anything."

"You know it was true. Deep inside, your Fae nature screams that you're bound by fate."

He forced a laugh.

"Sister, fate doesn't exist."

He disappeared in a blink.

Aleesha sighed.

"It does, brother. You're just too afraid to admit it."

She got up, and teleported herself in front of Sarah's room. She lightly touched the dark wood of the door and mumbled a few words. She whispered, a flash of sadness passing through her crystal-blue eyes.

"This will ease your pain for a few hours, Sarah. But that's all I can do, for this is not my role to save you this time. So calm down and recover as much as you can, because a greater challenge is coming tonight."

A silvery blue thread came out of her fingers and disappeared in the wood. The magic entered Sarah's room, floating silently towards the couch were she laid, half-conscious. Her physical and psychical pain was written on her swollen eyes, becoming grey.  
When the blue threads entered her bloody flesh, she felt a surge of comfort and warmth, and she calmed down. It was like the cuts weren't bleeding that much now. She then fell, in a sleep without dreams.

"The light will protect you, as the creature can't come during the day. Sleep well, Champion, and good luck." The princess turned her back and disappeared.

* * *

Evening.

Bloowy couldn't do it.  
She couldn't just sit there and watch her new young mistress suffer like this, even if the Princess ordered it.  
It was just like torturing her.  
For the two hundredth time since she got here, she glanced towards the joyful cook in front of her, then lowered her reddish head and played nervously with her fingers.

Bloowy couldn't do it.

"You know" Dorian said, lifting an eyebrow and putting a creamy spatula away "I don't mind the fact that you want to stay here, as it's not my problem if you get scolded" her turned to face the little goblin girl who was waddling on her feet "but it makes me nervous to see you standing here and doing nothing but staring at my back, goblin. So if you want to stay, at least do something, be useful!" he smiled, inviting her to wash some plates.

"Yah're right, mister Dorian, I have to do sumething…" she mumbled.

"Is it me, or are we not talking about those filthy plates anymore?" he asked, suspiciously.

"If" she started.

"Yup?"

"If there waz sumething…bad goin' on…"

"Yes?"

"And if someone waz'in danger…"

"Wait. What are you talking about?" he stared at the maid with worried eyes.

"…Nah. Bloowy can't say it. Forget it."

"Arg! Damn you goblins! Did you swear?! Are you bound by your words? If not, then you can't possibly stop here! Speak, you dumb creature! I can't stand suspense!"  
It was quite rare to see Dorian lose his temper against anyone, so it was enough to scare Bloowy. She glanced at the furious man in front of her, took a big breath, and spilled everything out.

In one breath.

"Sarahladyisindangeryahmustdo sumethingicantdoanythingimno tallowedtocomenearherhelpmis terdorian."

Well, at least, she said it.

"Erh. Could you just say it a bit slower?"

"Nah. Cannot. Too afraid."

"Don't force me to threaten you…" he spat, visibly irritated.

"…Sarah Lady'z in danger mister Dorian. Bloowy can't help, can't enter her room. Help Sarah Lady. Please…" she murmured, scared to be heard by her mistress.

Dorian stopped breathing. In a surge of worry, he grabbed the little maid's shoulders, pressing her to explain further.

"Bloowy dazn't know more, mister Dorian. Bloowyz'already breaking the rules by talking to ya. But if Lady Sarahz'hurt, King will destroy Bloowy..."

But Dorian didn't wait for an answer. Before she could end her sentence, he was already rushing out of the kitchens, overwhelmed by fear. When he finally reached the third floor were Sarah's bedroom was, he took a few seconds to take his breath, and looked for the right door.

"By the Gods, what is that thing?"

Dorian didn't have a lot of magic powers, and he was quite young for a Fae. So he couldn't see the violet miasma leaking between the door's junctures. But he could feel it, and smell it.  
Black magic.  
It was a deathly magic, and it was coming from inside her room.  
Panic ran through the young cook.

He tried to come closer. Something was trying to hold him back.  
If he could, he would have seen the miasma hardening around the door.  
But he couldn't.  
With a little effort, he grabbed the doorknob, and using more of his magic force, managed to turn it.  
He then put all his weight on the wooden door, until the door finally opened.

Dorian, exhausted, entered Sarah's room.

Inside, it was dark.  
But this darkness wasn't due to the sun slowly setting on the Underground.  
This darkness was thicker, created by a creature well known by the young Fae. For it has destroyed his entire town in one night, years ago.

A Dreamcatcher.

A cold feeling crept down his spine. He couldn't see a thing. He couldn't see Sarah.  
Were could she be?  
Gathering up his courage, he coughed, and said loudly:

"Sarah? Are you there?"

A distorted giggle.  
It came from the right side of the room.  
Dorian tried to remember what her room looked like.  
On the left side was her huge bed, and on the right side…the chimney… a table…Oh yes! A couch!

He took a step closer in the sound's direction.  
Another sound. More like a growl.  
How could this come from the delicate guest?  
Then she spoke.

"That apron doesn't suit you, cook." She had a sore, cracking voice. That was definitely not her voice, Dorian thought.  
He tried to catch her arm. Instead of warm and soft skin, he felt a sticky substance, dripping on the ground.

His eyes widened.  
Blood.

"Sarah, you're bleeding! Where are you hurt? I can't see you!"  
"I don't want you to see me, you pathetic fae." She growled.  
_I'm guilty…I deserve it…_  
"What was that sound?" Dorian thought.  
_I'm guilty…I must be punished…_  
"I'm not talking to Sarah, Champion of the Labyrinth, am I?" he finally concluded.

The thing laughed. A dark laugh that took away the last bits of warmth in Dorian's body.

"Hell no! That little bitch is mine now. Mine only! And I won't give her back!" the dreamcatcher giggled.  
"Let her go right now, monster, or else…" he started, confident.  
"Or else what? You know you're not strong enough, cook! You will die trying to save her, and that would be in vain. She's corrupted, her silly little brain was so easy to invade, with all those deliciously dark thoughts and that heavy guilt. Easy prey, I must say."

Dorian grabbed Sarah's bloody arm, and tried to pull her off the couch. But she didn't move an inch.

"I'm tired of you, cook. I will kill the bitch and you will be completely useless. So get out. Right now!" the thing said before a piercing scream resonated in the room.

"Sarah!"

Suddenly, something pushed Dorian out of the room like a powerful wind. He hit the wall in the corridor, and before he could stand up and rush in the room, the wooden door closed.  
Sarah was trapped. And the young Fae didn't have enough magical strength to at least open that door.

After a dozen tries, he fell on the ground, exhausted.  
He would never be able to move that doorknob. And the dark magic was growing stronger and stronger as time passed.

"I need to get help. But who would be strong enough…Urg, I'm stupid. I WISH THE GOBLIN KING WOULD COME HERE, RIGHT NOW!" He yelled, desperate.

With a poofing sound, the Goblin King came.  
He was, like always, grumpy.  
"Surely you're not forcing me to come here because you don't want to WALK, cook, because I would certainly bog you for this. And guess what, I think I…. By the Gods what is that smell?"  
"Your Majesty, this is an emergency." Dorian said, out of breath, not even bothering to bow.  
"Every little thing in this castle seems to be an emergency, Mogrian."  
"Dorian."  
"Yes. So, what is that oh so terrible situation you're bothering me to deal with?" he asked, tapping impatiently his black leather boot on the stoned ground.

Dorian silently pointed a finger in the door's direction. It was a few stairs higher, and as Jareth turned back to look at it, he rapidly hid his surprised expression.

"Well, that does explain the smell." he simply added. "And how, pray tell, did a Dreamcatcher manage to enter my Castle?" he asked to the young cook, slightly irritated but not worried an inch.

"Hem…I…I don't know…I'm just a cook…Wait, Majesty, this is not the time to speak about that! Please help me, your Highness!"

"This is positively disgusting…And that smell…"  
The King was crouching near the door, and was totally absorbed in his depiction of the sticky miasma, and completely ignored Dorian's supplications.

_Punition be damned!_ He thought.

"Your Highness!" he spat. "Please listen to me!"

"Oh Damian, you know, it's not the first time we have that kind of disrespectful guests and I can perfectly handle that."

But as soon as he finished his sentence, an ear-piercing cry came out of the room. Jareth's blood turned into ice in a second. As his gloved hands reached the wooden door, a single word, like a whisper, escaped from his thin lips.

"Sarah."

He immediately got up. Turning to face Dorian, he added quickly.

"Stay out of the room. You're magically exhausted; I can feel it without even touching you, mister cook. I won't be able to save the both of you in there." He added, serious.

Dorian hesitated. Then lifted his head and looked in his King's eyes, without blinking.

"Save her."

Jareth chuckled. A dark, ironic laugh.

"Isn't it what I always do? Even though I'm the villain…" he whispered to himself.

He conjured a crystal, and with a flick of his slender wrist, transformed it into a smooth, delicate, pale…Peach.

"What is that?" Dorian asked.

"You know, mister cook, I can't tell you, for this is something between your 'Champion' and I." The Goblin King's eyes glowed mischievously, as the young fae went down the cold stairs.

When alone, Jareth looked at the smooth fruit in his hand. He smirked.

"Alright then, Precious. Shall we dance again?"

Putting the peach in his pocket, he grabbed the doorknob, and without any effort, entered the room where his wonderful enemy was waiting…


	8. Chapter 8 : Moment of truth

I'm back! Finally!

Sorry it took me a while... But here is the new chapter!

Jareth is such a complicated character, with so much distorted feelings... I suggested some things in this part, so I hope you will understand. If you could leave me a review, it would be really appreciated as it guides me when I think about the way I will write the next chapters.

As always, a big thank you to Kzal who fixed my strange English (so quickly, by the way, thanks a lot!).

Enjoy! =)

Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own anything in this movie... I checked, no contract with J. Connelly nor anyone under my pillow... *sigh*

Song: Iris _ The Goo Goo Dolls

* * *

Chapter 8

"The moment of truth in your lies"

Jareth calmly entered the room.

The good point about being able to transform into a white barn owl is that you have no problem in discerning things in complete darkness.

There was no sound but his footsteps on the stone ground, slowly approaching Sarah's numb body.

With a movement of his gloved hand, he swiftly removed the books from the small table, which was facing the couch, and carelessly sat on it. His gaze fell on Sarah's face. He looked unimpressed. Her eyes were closed, but her lids were trembling. She was already in the Dream.

He waited a few seconds, looking at her suffering face. When all of his already limited patience went away, he sighed and crossed his arms.

"Are you going to just ignore me until your job is done or could it be possible to talk to the girl?" he said disdainfully.

"Ah." A cracked voice came out of Sarah's throat. "Your Majesty, what a pleasant surprise. Still as handsome as it's said, I can see. I beg your pardon, but Sarah Williams is currently too busy to answer you, so if you don't mind, I would like to enjoy my meal, alone."

The King laughed. The sound sent goosebumps over the girl's body.

"Now stop joking with me, Dreamcatcher. I tolerate neither your presence in my domain nor your desire to kill my guest. Wake the girl up, go away, and I will forget about your disgusting existence and the things you already did to her." He answered, dangerously serious.

The creature hissed.

"I won't let her go, Majesty. She's my prey, and she's already trapped. So unless you come in and…"

"So it's a deal."

"What?"

"Let me talk to her."

It hesitated.

"No."

"Alright. I will do it myself then."

A creepy giggle answered him.

"You can't, stupid King! Your bond is not strong enough! You're not a loved one!"

He smirked.

"Really? Then what about her best villain?"

He got up off the tiny table and crouched near Sarah's face. Slowly, he approached his slender face, and stopped as he could feel her breath on his delicate skin. Sarah's smell, he thought, was so different from the one she had ten years ago. It was stronger, more mature, enthralling. A faint smell of lily, along with the deep perfume of grass in a stormy, rainy night. He smiled, a wicked one that showed a pointed tooth, as he got closer to her ear.

Delicately, with the tip of his gloved finger, he moved a strand of raven hair. He took a long, controlled breath, and as he closed his mismatched eyes, whispered a word in the girl's deaf ear.

A simple word, two syllables, yet so hard to say out loud.

"Sarah."

* * *

_Where am I? How long have I been here?_

The young woman was lost.

She was pretty sure she had already crossed that road an hour ago. But nothing was happening.

She should have already reached her parent's house by now, so why did she keep going back to that crowded street?

It was as if time has stopped.

And then, something hit her, like thunder.

A voice resonated in her head. A delightful voice, the voice of an angel, she thought. Yet so deep, so smooth, so intriguing.

_I know that voice._

She tried to distinguish what the voice was saying. It seemed important. Around her, faceless people's walks were slowing down, as if the world was slowly ceasing to turn.

_Sarah._

Something was wrong. Whoever this voice might be, they hadn't called her by her name for a very long time.

Ten years.

Ten long years without hearing that beautiful , mischievous voice saying her name in that so-familiar way, as if it was a delicate thing, as if she was important.

_Where is this voice coming from? Wasn't I in the castle beyond the goblin city?_

She trembled.

_I was in HIS castle. HE called me!_

_You… You!_

* * *

"…No power over me!"

Sarah's eyes flew open.

Jareth grunted.

"You love it, don't you? Unnerving me." He spat bitterly.

She tried to move her head but a violent ache stopped her.

"Can't…move…"

"Ssh. This is normal, you are possessed by a Dreamcatcher." He said, putting a hand on her forehead. "This filthy thing is trying to get you back in the Dream. We don't have a lot of time." He looked at her hurt neck. "Can you swallow?"

"What are you saying?" she coughed.

"Look, little girl, you know how I like your useless power battles, but now is not the time to question every sentence I pronounce. So, your throat."

"It…It hurts, but I've had worse. Why?"

Jareth put his left hand in his pocket, grabbing the peach. When Sarah saw the fruit, her eyes narrowed.

"I'm not eating that."

He twitched.

"By the Gods, how can you be so stubborn?! This is the only way for me to enter the dream!" he smirked and sweetened. "You look like me." Then he looked at the soft fruit inside his palm. "But no, little girl, you're not eating that."

He removed his right hand from Sarah's forehead, and put it on the peach, hiding it. When the young woman looked at it again, the fruit had transformed into a beautiful pear.

Sarah didn't understand.

"Why is that?" she asked, curious.

Jareth looked at the pear, then back into Sarah's eyes. He grinned, revealing a pointed tooth.

"Payback, Precious."

She shivered. But he didn't let her talk back.  
He magically cut a slice of the fruit and quickly caught Sarah's jaw. When she felt the soft caress of leather on her skin, she opened her mouth to take a breath. Jareth took advantage of the timing to swiftly slide the slice of pear on her tongue. Her eyes went wide open as she tasted the sweet juice of the fruit, as she felt it silently going down her throat, warming her stomach up.

"I hate you…" she whispered, as her body was going numb.

"I know." He answered "Wait for me there, Precious."

Sarah fell asleep.

* * *

That familiar neighborhood.  
The sweet scent of Ms. Shepard's pear pies in the air.  
She was back. Again.

Sarah took a few steps towards her parent's house.  
Where was he?  
Suddenly, a familiar scene was played in front of her. Toby was there, smiling while exiting the house, crossing the garden, and waving a joyful hand towards Lancelot.

_Wait for me.  
_

"I can't! I have to stop him!" she yelled to herself.

As soon as she took the first step towards her younger brother, her vision went blurry, and her neighborhood disappeared.  
In front of her was a forest. The sky was cloudy, and dark.  
A fine rain was falling on Sarah's shoulders. She didn't recognize the place at first, but then…  
Those green oak trees, this small river sliding across a huge garden…  
She was in the City's Park.

She loved that place so much before. That was where she used to hide when her stepmother was scolding her, where she used to repeat her plays with Lancelot... Then, a few years later, it became Toby's favorite place to hang out with his sister…

She walked in the gardens, idly touching a broken stoned column.

That was also the place where she found _The Labyrinth_, lying on the grass, as if waiting for her…

A strange noise interrupted her thoughts.  
A noise that sent chills down her spine.

A scream.

"Someone, please!" she heard.  
"Oh my… This is horrible…" another voice whispered.  
"What kind of monster could have done this…" a third one said.

Sarah shivered. Something was wrong.  
Those moments were not the only memories she had of this place.  
There was something else.

She took a few steps in the direction of the screams.  
Now she was facing a thorn-bush. The people were just behind it.

Her trembling fingers tried to move a branch away, and the thorns scratched her pale skin. She hissed, but she grabbed the branch more firmly, letting bloody drops fall on the ground.  
It was like something was forcing her to look behind that bush. She couldn't take her eyes off of it.  
Suddenly, her right hand touched something on the ground as she crouched.

It was so smooth, and so cold.

Someone's skin.

She couldn't see through the bush, so she kept touching what she could grab.

It was somehow circular, very thin. Maybe an ankle.

And then, Sarah's world collapsed.

Whose ankle was it?

She panicked. She got up and ran through the bush, but the thorns scratched her legs, her arms, her cheeks. She decided to quickly bypass it. As she arrived on the other side, vivid lights blinded her.

An ambulance.

The young woman remembered. The screams, the people staring disrespectfully, taking photographs, an ambulance, three policemen… And there, half-hidden under a thornbush, a small, cold, grey body.

She took a few steps. No one stopped her as she walked through the restricted area, strangely apathetic.

But when she tried to come closer, a strong hand grabbed her shoulder.

"I told you to wait for me, Sarah."

She laughed nervously. In a blink, her laugh became a cry, loud and desperate. Sarah tried to escape Jareth's grip, but he didn't budge. He was like stone as he saw the little form lying lifelessly on the garden's ground.

"No." he whispered.

Sarah became wild. Panic ran through her, and she lost her mind. The Goblin King tightened his grip and caught her other shoulder, caging her.

"Let me go!" she screamed. "Jareth! Let me go!" her tears were flowing down. "Jareth!"

"I can't. If I let you go there, the Dreamcatcher will take advantage of your weakness."

"What Dreamcatcher?! No, this is… Let me go!" she became silent. Then muttered "Please... Let me see."

The Fae slowly bent towards her right ear. He took a few seconds to weight up his words, and then he whispered.

"Do you know what is hiding under this bush?"

"Yes."

"Do you really want to go there?"

"…Yes. Help me."

He sadly smiled.

"I can't refuse you anything, Precious. I never could."

She started to move, but he grabbed her wrist.

"I'm coming with you."

He was there, his short silk blond hair tangled with mud and grass.  
Sarah felt like throwing up as she finally recognized the lithe form, what remained of a young boy's body.

Toby.

A lonely tear slid on her scratched cheek. She closed her eyes.

But then everything changed. When she reopened her eyes, Toby, the garden, everything had disappeared. And Jareth was smirking. She could feel it even without looking at him. It was insufferable, but familiar. Comforting, in a way.

"How predictable, Dreamcatcher." He hissed.

They were now back on that sandy hill, facing the Labyrinth.  
Where everything started.

A naughty voice rose from nowhere.

"Do not blame me, Majesty. After all, it's the girl's mind." It giggled.

"What was that?" Sarah asked.

"The Dreamcatcher." The King replied distractedly. He was suspicious. "Sarah" he added after a few seconds "Why is it that my Labyrinth comes to your mind? I thought you had forgotten about us."

Sarah was surprised.

"How could I even forget about it? Your country almost killed me back then!"

"No, that's not it." He was perplexed.

Then it became clearer.

"Sarah, do you regret something? Something that happened here?"

"Why are you asking me that? No, I don't."

She was lying, and Jareth knew it.

"If the Dreamcatcher brought you there, it means you have some regrets concerning this place."

She turned her back to him.

"Sometimes, I think…"

She clenched her fists.

"I should have turned back, that day."

"What do you mean?"

"Toby, he… Were you planning to give him a good life? If I had chosen my dreams over him."

The King hesitated. Would it be better if Sarah knew the truth? She was an adult now, she could bear it. And shaking her could be a good strategy to force the Dreamcatcher to come.

"A few hours before your arrival in my Castle, when I was thinking you wouldn't make it, I chose my heir. I chose your brother."

Sarah didn't show any surprise. She didn't move, nor cry. She simply smiled.

"Ah" she exhaled "I regret it so much." Her hair was moved by a smooth wind, revealing her pale, frail neck. Even without looking at her, he could feel it. She was deeply pained.

"He would still be alive…"

"You're right, sis."

"_Finally"_ Jareth thought. He took a step back, carefully watching the scene.

"Toby?" Sarah was confused, as a form appeared in front of her.

"Hi sis, did you miss me?" the thing was coming closer, a wicked smile on its face.

"Toby…I missed you so much" she was crying, crouching.

"I didn't miss you." The creature with Toby's face replied.

"Wh…"

"I hate you, sis." Its smile grew wider. "And you know why."

Sarah lowered her head.

"Yes."

"You killed me, Sarah-sis." It was now two feet away from her.

"I'm sorry… I understand Toby, I am ready to pay."

When the creature reached a hand towards the young woman, Jareth intervened.

"Turn back Sarah."

She lifted her head, surprised. Toby flinched.

"What did you just say?" she asked.

"Turn back before it's too late."

"What kind of game are you playing, Goblin King?" the creature hissed.

He smiled wickedly.

"The one I play the best, Dreamcatcher. I'm tricking you."

Toby trembled. Sarah was turning her head towards the King.

"I'm losing the contact with her mind! Stop it!" it shouted. "Look at what you've done, Sarah! You killed your brother!"

"No." she replied.

"What did you say?!" the creature's hands were slowly disappearing.

"If I follow him, you will be back, Toby. If I turn back, you will be saved."

"Your brother is DEAD, woman! Look at me!"

"Sarah." Jareth said, confident.

She rose up, facing Jareth. Behind her tears, she was smiling.

"NO! It can't be! I won't allow it!"

Toby's image vanished. Instead, a woman stood. Her red hair matched the blood on her dark arms, down her long, pointy nails, but that's not what frightened Sarah. When she looked at her face, she trembled.

Nothing.

Her face was blank. Only jet-black skin.

The Dreamcatcher screamed, enraged. It jump at Sarah's throat, and she coughed.

"Sarah." Jareth was calm, or so it seemed. "Look at me." He ordered.

Coughing harder, frightened, she glanced towards him. He was waiting for her, offering his gloved hand.

"I… can't…"

"Why?" he simply asked.

"It's…killing me."

"Really? But, did you kill Toby as the thing said?"

"Uh…I don't know…That thing took his face…Can't be my brother…"

"Why is that?" Jareth lifted an eyebrow.

"Because…Toby is already dead." She answered, confused.

"Then what is it?" he chuckled.

"It's…Oh." Sarah's eyes grew wider.

"Stop it!" The Dreamcatcher tightened his grip, but Sarah didn't feel it.  
Instead, she looked straight were the thing's eyes should be. Her eyes were fierce, confident. For a second, the Goblin King remembered that painful time in the Escher Room.  
Her Sarah was back.

The Dreamcatcher's hands loosened. It was frightened, waiting for the sentence he knew the young woman was about to say.

"You're just a dream."

"NOOOO!"

The sound of its agony reverberated around them, and the ground cracked. Sarah jumped towards Jareth, grabbed his hand…

And everything disappeared.

* * *

She woke up, panting.

The King was sitting in front of her, smiling. He had lit a fire and was holding something in his left hand.  
Sarah couldn't see much, because her eyes were swollen. But one thing caught her attention. She coughed.

"Are those…Wings?"

"Ah." He answered, satisfied with her reaction. "This filthy thing, Precious, is what tortured you these last few nights." He said, shaking the tiny thing in the air. It hissed.

As he saw Sarah's surprised look, he continued.

"This is a Dreamcatcher, a dark fairy. Seems like you were to its taste."

"A fairy? This little thing did those things to me?"

"Things are not what they seem to be in my world, Miss Williams." He grinned.

"And neither are you." She mumbled.

"Hm?"

"You saved me, Goblin King. Again."

"Oh that's a bit too much, Precious. I only woke up that silly brain of yours."

She tried to get up.

"Don't play with me. You…Ack!"

"Don't move." He said, serious. "Your spirit may feel relieved, but your body is severely damaged."

He glanced at the fairy stuck firmly in his hand. With his other hand, he conjured a glass bottle and disdainfully threw the creature into it, trapping it. "I will take care of you later. Until then, enjoy my oubliette, filthy creature." He spat. The bottle disappeared in a blink.

"Now." He added, rising up. "Let's take care of that frail human woman." He grinned.

A chill went down her spine. She didn't need to be 'taken care of', especially by the one in front of her, in his white shirt, black leather gloves, tight pants…Wait.

_This is due to the shock Sarah, don't get distracted stupid girl._

"I can do it myself…" she tried to move her leg, but it started bleeding again, and she suppressed a hiss of pain.

"Stop acting childish, Precious."

Putting an arm behind her shoulder and the other one under her knees, he carefully lifted her, and slowly laid her on her bed. Looking at her wounds, he tsked.

"My healers only know about Fae and Goblins' anatomy. Tomorrow, I'll look for that dwarf woman, Growly…Gromny…Whatever. For now, I will stop the bleeding, Sarah. It might hurt; I never did this on humans before. You might react strangely to magic. Prepare yourself."

"Stop talking, Goblin King, just do it."

He lifted a surprised eyebrow. Insolent again. It was bringing back memories, and his lips faintly curved into a smile.

"As you wish, Lady. I'm starting with your arms."

He conjured a crystal ball and started rolling it on Sarah's skin. It tickled, but it didn't hurt. It was as if the sphere was slowly absorbing her pain, only leaving a soft feeling, a warm caress on her bruised, cut skin. She exhaled.

"Does it hurt?" he asked.

"No…" she whispered.

"Now I will come to your neck."

"Okay…"

She closed her eyes. A few seconds later, she felt the pressure on her throat disappear, and could breathe more easily.

"Thank you…"

"You're my guest, I can't let you die in my Castle, It would make me a terrible host." He joked.

"No, really, why are you so nice to me? You despise me, I don't understand."

"Ah, Precious, this is because I know something that you don't." he smiled, sadly.

"And, what is that thing?"

He paused. He looked straight into her vivid green eyes, so beautiful, so strong. So alive.

"I'm not telling you." He snickered.

She didn't speak when he sealed the deep cuts on her legs. She was staring at him, at the angry look on his face while he was pulling away the layers of fabric she used to stop the bleeding.

"All done. I will find that Dwarf healer, it would be a shame if you died of a human infection."

"Thank you. You saved my life."

He looked at her, surprised by such mature thankfulness. He grinned.

"You're welcome, Sarah."

"I like that. You, saying my name. It reminds me of the good old times when my only problems were the school and babysitting Toby…"

He lifted an eyebrow. For a second, he almost looked confused.

"I thought I would never say your name again, nor talk to you, truth be told. Your sudden arrival was not in my plan, and I was so angry, yet a bit happy to see you, I have to admit it."

"Not in your plan? Then what was you plan?" Sarah asked.

"It's a secret, you nosy girl."

"Fine. I won't ask you…" she tsked.

"Enough with the chit-chat, Precious. It was quite enjoyable to talk with you but now you have to sleep, and I need it too. Your nightmares are so tiring!" he snickered, while getting up.

"You're right" she closed her eyes, grabbing her pillow. "Good night, Jareth…"

"Sweet dreams to you, Precious thing."

He walked to the door, turning off the fire with a flick of his wrist. His hand on the doorknob, he whispered.

"Forgive me, Sarah."

But the Champion was already asleep.

* * *

Jareth closed the door behind him. As soon as he exited the room, Dorian ran towards him.

"Is she okay? Is she safe?" the young man asked, panicked.

"Calm down, Doris. She's sleeping."

"Oh thank Gods."

"Don't bother. Thank me instead." He grinned.

"Ah, yes, Your Majesty. You alone could save her, I wasn't even able to open the door…" he lowered his head in shame.

"Speaking of it, let's change that story a little bit, if it doesn't bother you, and I'm quite convinced it won't." The King said, repressing an angry grunt.

"What do you desire me to do, my King?" Dorian was looking straight at him, expecting his master's orders.

Jareth didn't answer for a moment. He already regretting what he was about to do. But it would be better this way. He looked at his cook and said:

"When Sarah will wake up by tomorrow morning, tell her that I wasn't the one who saved her. Tell her that you freed her from the Dreamcatcher."

Dorian did not understand.

"But Sire, will she believe me?"

The King sadly smiled.

"She won't have any choice. Tomorrow, the enchanted fruit I gave her a few hours ago will have worked its magic. She won't have any memory of what happened tonight."

_Nothing._

Dorian didn't answer. He was waiting for an explanation. But it didn't come.

"Allow me to take back my role of the evil Goblin King, mister cook." The monarch added, disappearing in a glittery mist.

"Alright, your Majesty."


End file.
